The Paragon

Prologue

The thing about an airship was that it was never totally quiet.  There was always that hum in the background of the engines running, the floor vibrating just slightly under your feet as you walked, the gentle woosh of air that you could hear every few seconds from the fans in the walls.  It wasn't quiet.
And yet, if you'd spent enough time aboard one, those sounds all became background noise; it was just the way the world existed.  So even though it wasn't quiet aboard this particular airship, to the crew it was silent.  And it had been for a long time.  Minimal talking happened for days at a time, only nodded greetings in passing, and the necessary dialogue between workers.  Occasionally, there was a burst of excitement, like when they had to avoid an Imperial ship, or the small scuffles that sometimes followed when they couldn't evade quickly enough.  Those battles were often quick and decisive, dealing just enough damage to force a retreat and allow the Redcloak ship to slip back into anonymity.  Usually, they didn't interest the Imperials enough to cause a chase, so they were able to go back to silent drifting for weeks and months at a time.
So, when the PA system crackled to life one day, it startled most everyone.  The voice that came over the speakers was the captain, Wayfinder Nadia.  "All Redcloak personnel not otherwise engaged, please report to the briefing room.  Repeat, all Redcloak personnel not otherwise engaged, please report to the briefing room immediately."  And then as quickly as there had been noise, it was silent again.
Phoenix stood from his seat slowly, closing the book he had been reading as he rose.  It was unusual, to say the least, for all personnel to be called to the briefing room.  Something big must be happening.  And there was only one thing that would be that big; Phoenix could feel his heart hammering in his chest at the thought of the possibility, and he quickly made for the door, fastening on his cloak as he did so.
He caught up with a couple other Redcloaks on their way to the briefing room, and they seemed just as focused as he felt.  They all knew what this could mean—what this had to mean—and there was no proper emotion to describe it.  At one point, it would have been excitement; now it was more like dread.  Phoenix flexed the fingers of his right hand without thinking about it, adrenaline already pouring into his body.
The briefing room was a circular room at the center of the ship on the upper deck.  The round table had a space in the center of it, where the holographic interface could display almost anything at all; maps, schematics, pictures—right now there was a city landscape.  Phoenix didn't recognize what it was, but he assumed that it would become important soon enough.
Wayfinder Nadia was there, seated in her chair, as were a few other of the crew who'd already arrived.  There weren't many people onboard the airship—certainly not enough to fit all the chairs at the table.  Phoenix had never really known why the ship was designed with room for so many, when the ranks of the Redcloaks was always so few.
Once everyone had been seated, Wayfinder Nadia stood to address them.  Her cloak, long and a regal crimson color just like everyone else's, framed her perfectly, making her look the epitome of authority and grace.  "I'm sure that most of you have already guessed," Nadia began, looking solemnly at the group assembled before her.  "I received a call from the fortress not fifteen minutes ago, that the Sightseers have heard the spirits call out.  The Paragon has been chosen again."
No one said a word.  Phoenix looked to his right and left to see the same look of grim determination on most everyone's faces.  He remembered from the history texts that he'd read about the celebration that had always used to occur when the next Paragon rose; that was a reaction Phoenix could never imagine having anymore.  Even the tiny sliver of hope that bubbled up in his chest seemed too much.
"We are the closest ship to where they sensed the energies coming from," Nadia continued.  "In fact, we're extremely close."  She gestured to the city landscape on the display.  "The city of Foster.  Only a day and a half's flight away."
That got everyone's attention, including Phoenix's.  Was there actually a chance this time?  They'd never been this close before at the Paragon's rise.  It had always been too late by the time they even got there.  "Our course has already been corrected and we are heading on the most direct path to the city," Nadia said, adjusting her sleeves as she spoke.  "I will be leading the group into Foster; I will be selecting who I believe is necessary to accompany me within a few hours.  Please check your messages regularly, and continue performing your duties as always.  Thank you."
And with that she seemed finished.  The ten of them at the table looked amongst each other as they slowly rose, a few talking quietly to each other, everyone sharing an equally confused and determined expression.
The wayfinder was already heading towards the door.  Phoenix hurried after her, falling into step beside her in the hall.  She looked at him, not seeming surprised that he'd followed after.  "Keeper Phoenix," she greeted, sounding as stoic as ever.  "Did you have questions?"
"Of course I do," Phoenix responded.  "I need to know if you intend for me to accompany you into the city."
Nadia sighed, gesturing that he follow her down a side hallway.  They walked in silence for a few minutes until they reached her office.  Once the door slid shut, Nadia sat down at her desk and gestured for Phoenix to take the chair across from her.  "Keeper," she began, her tone already betraying what she was going to say.  "I think that you'll understand my reasoning--"
"No," Phoenix interrupted, then cleared his throat and shook his head, keeping his eyes trained directly on his superior.  "I apologize for my impertinence, Wayfinder, but I will not understand your reasoning.  I'm the best keeper, and I should be the Paragon's keeper.  That's what I'm meant to do.  I know it."
"And how exactly do you know it, Phoenix?" Nadia asked.  She sighed.  "I'm still not sure you should have even retained your title, let alone been on this ship.  In fact, I was advised against it multiple times.  And now you think I should allow you to approach the Paragon, when I've been given only just less than an order not to do so?"
Phoenix felt his heart still hammering, though from nerves or anger, he wasn't sure.  "I've never done anything wrong," he insisted.  His voice had just the tiniest hint of apprehension with that statement—as though he were trying to tell himself at the same time as Nadia.
"No, you haven't," Nadia agreed.  "But you've been through enough, Phoenix.  It's more than anyone would ask you to do.  You know how this might end; more than most, you know."
"I do," Phoenix said.  He swallowed, trying to steady himself as he felt a tiny bit of fear creep up at memories that wouldn't die.  "That doesn't stop me from wanting to fulfill my oath.  I'm not one for breaking my word, Wayfinder."
Nadia seemed to be staring straight through Phoenix, her eyes boring holes directly through his skull, as though hoping to see his true thoughts for herself.  "I suppose you are still ranked highly," she allowed, clearly pondering the issue.  "You feel prepared to be out in the field?"
His hand balled into a fist instinctually, but he immediately released it.  "Yes, Wayfinder," he said.
Nadia sighed.  "All right.  Then I'll take it under consideration."
If she did that, really did that, Phoenix knew she'd only come to one solution; he'd won.  He rose from his chair.  "Thank you, Wayfinder," he said, and walked towards the door.  It slid open, but he didn't walk through, instead looking back at Nadia at her desk.  "Do you know anything about the Paragon, Wayfinder?  Who are they?"
But Nadia only shook her head.  "We may know more later.  For now, we can only hope they're someone capable of keeping themselves alive."