27. Elian

Elian

Elian glanced down at the damp streets of the Azure District in Luthien. It brought back memories of living here briefly with Harlan and their father. After living for two years in the slums of Bronze, Azure was a step up for them. He had good memories of eating from the market in this district.

After napping for a few hours that afternoon, he'd gotten up sluggishly and made his way outside into the dreary evening. It had been more difficult than he thought to climb up to the roof with only two fingers on the hand he used the most.

It was snowing now and hard to see. The soldiers who surrendered to Mordren had vowed to serve the ancient god, which meant making sure the city stayed secured in case of an uprising.

From the moment Elian had stepped into Luthien to warn them about Mordren, he'd taken on more responsibility than he could handle. He had failed, in more ways than one, and he didn't blame Owen at all for what had happened.

Since the siege of the city, shadow graugs roamed the streets looking for anyone out past dark. Mordren made sure everyone was kept in line, paying particular heed to keeping the soldiers of the Legion in check. It was nearly impossible to move about this place without being swarmed by beasts or Arroki soldiers. The dead bodies of men and women garbed in rotten armor and animated by the spirits of the dead formed much of Mordren's army.

The Arroki didn't seem to like heights, or perhaps they were too dim-witted to look up at the sky. It was something Elian picked up on early. The Arroki had an advantage, as they could go so long fighting before they finally dropped to the ground. But they were senseless in everything else. They followed Mordren's only commands: kill anyone who tries to cross the citadel grounds, and kill anyone on the streets at night.

But still, they did not acknowledge the rooftops, which was glorious for him, as this position gained him information.

Elian sighed heavily into the air as he waited, and as the night deepened, he grew impatient with worry. What was taking Rhielle so long? He hoped neither Mordren nor Rem had discovered her plight. As per their plan, she disguised herself as a servant and was taken by one of the Arroki to the citadel. Mordren still needed servants, it seemed, and she'd been selected among those waiting outside the citadel gates.

That had been four days ago.

He was supposed to meet Rhielle tonight on the rooftop of the tailor shop in the Azure District. And wait he did, hooded and cloaked in a dark robe that blended with the night.

When he saw someone jumping across the rooftops, Elian surveyed around him for monsters. Below, on the street between the inn and a shop, an Arroki soldier growled as it walked along. Elian looked up at the hooded figure across from him on the other roof.

After the soldier left, the figure jumped across, barely making it, and Elian reached down to grab a hand and pull them up. When he saw Rhielle's face in the dim moonlight, he let out a breath of relief .

They both crouched low on the roof, and Elian placed a firm hand on her shoulder, gazing at the curly hair framing her cheeks inside her hood.

"I can't stay long," she whispered. "But I have news. Owen is imprisoned in the tower of the east wing. Mordren hasn't let his plan be known, but I know it has to do with Owen. I've heard the word sacrifice come up once between Mordren and Rem since I've been there."

"And where are you working?" Elian asked.

"Cleaning shit and piss." She shook her head.

Elian looked around, then thought for a moment. "Sacrifice…?" When Rhielle nodded, he let out a heavy sigh.

"What is it, Eli?"

"Sacrifice is a heavy word. It's a cursed word among Wielders. We don't mention it, because we know of the disasters it could bring. All this superstition… the rituals…" Elian closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Gods, Elle, I don't even know what's right and wrong anymore."

"What do you mean?" She grabbed his arm impatiently.

"When an Astran goes through the Cleansing ritual, their power is taken. The Cleansing is just a watered-down word for sacrifice . But we don't sacrifice Astrans. Instead, we cleanse them of their Essence, using the same symbols that one would use during a… Soul Sacrament…" Elian trailed off. This was exactly what Owen had asked him about recently, at the fort. The Cleansing ritual itself was engineered so that an Astran wouldn't die. It was the Legion's way of making sure Astrans weren't Shadowborn who might aid a god.

The hypocrisy of Elian's life's work struck him once again. The Legion sealed Mordren away and then used his own soul ritual, not to take the souls of Astrans in the living world, but to take their Essence. And then they turned around and used that same power for themselves.

How could I have been so naive?

"What do we do?" Rhielle asked.

Elian was still looking away as he tried to come to terms with his own hypocrisy, with the foolish contradictions that made up the Legion. His whole life, he'd told himself this was the way. He'd been taught that Essence was a curse that must be Cleansed, but also that those who couldn't be Cleansed must be killed to ensure the safety of the world. He clung to every word growing up, fearful of what might happen if he strayed from the brotherhood, from the beliefs of the Legion. The Legion ruled in every country like tyrants. They had tried to keep the world safe, but they had gone about it in all the wrong ways.

Mordren had come to their world regardless. The Legion could have worked with Astrans rather than demonize them. It would have made a world of difference if they had prepared together. Rather than deal with the evil god themselves, they locked him away and punished those who could potentially free him.

"Eli?" Rhielle's voice broke his thoughts, and he looked back at her, meeting her eyes.

"I need you to get as much information about this sacrifice as you can. And if possible, I need you to find a way to talk with Owen." When she nodded, he squeezed her arm. "Be safe."

She smiled at him. "We'll meet back here?"

"Yes. In two days. Same time."

"Look after yourself, Eli." She left swiftly, jumping back to the roof of the shop, and then to the others that led upward into the district, until she vanished into the night .

He had to get word to the soldiers outside the city walls. They were Luthien's only chance. If they could possibly storm the city, the rest of the soldiers on the inside could join the revolt and fight their way to the citadel. He would continue to send the Legion's messenger doves. The Arroki were too dim to discover this form of communication.

It was a plan that would have to work.

Elian glanced around, eyes scanning the city. Then he looked up at the sky, and anger surged through him as it hit him.

How wrong he had been.

How many lives he had ruined.

How he had been deceived.

The lump in his throat rose, and he swallowed it down. Elian looked down at the Core emblem pinned on his shirt beneath his cloak and took it off. He held it up in the moonlight, his eyes tracing over the lines etched into the gold Core. Then he walked to the edge of the roof, and seeing no one below, dropped the pin into the gutter before fleeing the roof.