Midnight Moon

Chapter 45 - Torchlight

Everything was falling into place. It was like watching autumn leaves drift inexorably downwards, only Faltis controlled the paths they took and the positions they landed in. He may not have been High Priest or Almighty Ren, but tonight he was the master of fate.

With help from a few others nudged in the right direction, admittedly. Tonight's ritual would never have worked without the obedience of Colonel Dimarn, one of the officers of the Levean army whose attention and loyalty they had caught with a few well-placed coins. If he hadn't been so obliging, their enterprise in the Kazeal Valley would have been far harder to complete.

He stood with Seryt, watching calmly as Order members processed before them. In contrast, a restless energy radiated from the High Priestess. She didn't shift, but her blazing eyes darted around the gathering.

Neither of them spoke as their comrades passed, each carrying a burden shared between a pair and laying it on the hard ground, piling them like kindling for a campfire. Faltis and Seryt both carried a burning torch and as each pair finished their task, they assembled themselves in a line, lighting their own torches from the person before them. There were spells to achieve the same result, but today all conserved their energy.

Before long, the pile reached a dozen feet wide and waist high, and the blazing flames cast a ring of light into the Kazeal Valley. The ritual had not yet begun, but there was something methodical and solemn about the movements. They all felt the gravitas of the moment.

When the pile was complete, Seryt gestured for the other Order members to move down towards the crypts. As the procession began again, she turned her feverish gaze to Faltis. "Do you have the blood?" she murmured.

"Yes, High Priestess." He raised a hand to his chest pocket, confirming the weight of the twin vials he held - one that remained from the Princess, and one freshly collected from others.

"And you're sure the girl will be delivered to us?"

Faltis inclined his head. "Yes, High Priestess." Other seers had predicted the Princess' presence at the ritual now, and they were certain it would commence as planned. Frustratingly, no one had yet seen what would happen afterwards - it wasn't surprising, as knowledge of the future was difficult to come by even for mages, but he hated going in blind. If he'd had his way, he would have spent every free moment preparing to control what was to come.

"What are our plans once Ren has returned?" Faltis asked Seryt lightly, his gaze following the passing torches. She had refused to answer the question every other time he asked, but perhaps she would respond now the wait was drawing to a close.

"We follow the God King," she replied as though it was obvious, "Our plans are whatever he bids."

He fought not to raise his eyebrows at her. "You have no idea what will happen after tonight?"

"Our Lord will have returned." She turned her head to him, her hard stare reflecting firelight. "That is what we have worked for, what we will achieve where so many failed through the centuries. What we do after our triumph is not a concern until we get there."

A slight frown creased his expression. He couldn't imagine going into a situation without a plan of action, an escape strategy, an upper hand over all others present. "Surely it would be wise to know what we will be working towards next."

"What I know is that we will be restored to our former glory," she snapped. "For centuries we have been shunned by the kingdoms of the Lands, forced to cower in the shadows. When Ren returns, we will reclaim the respect and mastery we are due."

Faltis looked away. He had known she was fanatically devoted to the cause of repairing the Order - and doing so by resurrecting their most famous and infamous leader - but he had never seen this depth to her faith before. Its blindness was disturbing.

Seryt's eyes burned and her voice rose as she continued her proclamation. "We will show them what real power is, and I will be the one to lead us to salvation. I will make my ancestors proud, make them value my success where they failed. We shall never be weak again."

Her final words rang through the night as the final Order members passed them. He wondered whether they all believed as she did, whether they were willing to lay down their lives for this cause, or if they had been dragged along in the current. It made no difference though, not now. By tomorrow it would all be done, one way or another.

He acknowledged Seryt's speech with a small bow. He was as committed to his vision as she was to hers, but only he knew that they would not align for much longer.