The Aeronaut's Daughter

Fixing the Knife

Hey, apologies this didn't arrive over the weekend as it was supposed to. Things got busy, but now it is here, and the next one will arrive soon.

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Mrs. Coulter's trial hadn't been on for long, and already everyone on the council deemed her a vile woman. "I have tortured and killed witches. I have kidnapped and experimented on children. I have behaved abominably,".

"I have received a message from Salmakia," Lord Roke fluttered onto the table. Even though he was small, Mrs. Coulter could see the rage in his eyes. "She told me that you broke the Knife,".

Asriel and the council were angered. Mrs. Coulter quickly spoke to defend herself. "I did no such thing,".

"That's not what the children seem to think, according to my spy,".

The dragon queen growled. "You lie,".

"It was the Knife Bearer who broke it, not I," Mrs. Coulter said straightly, unafraid of Zhibei's threats. He stared at me, and the Knife snapped.

"And you didn't have the pleasure of telling us this before?" Ruta wanted to kill her now.

"I've never had the opportunity to do so. I have, however, had the pleasure of meeting the boys Will and (M/C) twice now, and I find them rather insipid,".

"Will is special because he wields or did wield the Knife. But what is so special about (M/C)?".

"He is not like other children I've encountered. I watched him tear the soul, the daemon, out of someone in Will Parry's world. And the Spectres don't just devour his humanity, they devour him completely,".

"And why would these Spectres do that?" Ogonwe questioned.

"Because Spectres feed on Dust," Asriel answered for him. "This boy is a Dust Seer. A race of powerful people who live in harmony with nature and don't use technology to control it. They are born with it. I have been interrogating the prisoner Alabrus about these people, and he told me one of them was who the Authority was after. What is his name, Marisa?".

"(M/C) Lionheart. Lyra gave him his name just as Iorek Byrnison gave her her new name,".

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And so, Damian and Arthur told (M/C) how he came to be. "Your parents knew that the Authority and his Regent would hunt you all your life. So, they realised the only way to keep you safe truly was to send you to Citagatzze,".

"Because it was full of Spectres,".

"They hoped that because you were a child, you wouldn't attract them too much, and the angels would stay away because of the Knife Bearer dwelling in the Tower. We journeyed with them across the worlds until the Authority's Regent came after you," Damian explained. "Your parents and I fought him and his angels to give Arthur a chance to flee and take you to Citagatzze so they couldn't track you down,".

"They weren't killed, weren't they?" (M/C)'s answer was two solemn nods; their eyes were teary.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't save them." Damian's apology made his eyes flicker and tears spill. Arthur held his hand and kissed his head, both pressing their foreheads to one another. (M/C) could see how much losing his parents had affected them so badly.

Though his voice was broken, he kept on speaking. "What were their names?".

"Simon and Lucya. And we know if they were here, they would be very proud of you,".