The Great War: Chapter 71
The battles begin
She can still feel it, that sword plunged into her chest, as she heaves desperately for air. Its cold sting makes her heart ache in a way she’s never felt before, as thought it, too, has stopped beating.
She can look down all she wants, touch the exact spot where she feels the steel, and still not believe that she’s alive.
“What happened, Jae?” Devin asks, leaning over the table with an intense stare.
She opens her mouth to speak, but she struggles to find her words. She doesn’t want to let go of the cold air swirling in her lungs, even as she exhales for another gulp. It, at the very least, lets her know that she’s still alive.
The other three are silent - Mathew and Ezra are missing, even though they were just there… how long ago? - as they wait for Jae to respond. How is she supposed to explain it to them? Would they even believe her?
The presence of that Illusionist - Isaac, as he introduced himself - lingers somewhere in the back of her mind, a warm and comforting presence amidst all of the noise. He must be worried, too; she had been yanked back to her body so suddenly.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath, she is somehow able to recall his first piece of advice. He had explained it further, It’s a way to anchor you to… well, you.
Slowly, she closes her eyes and turns her attention back to her breathing. The ache is still there, stabbing at her as she fights to get herself back under control. She must.
“It happened so suddenly,” she speaks at last. She licks her lips, finally given some clarity to process. It did happen suddenly. One moment, Isaac had her full attention, and the next there was that searing pain that drew her away. She just barely caught a glimpse of what was going on, but that flash sadly didn’t give her much information to go off of. The healer was alone, behind some houses, ran right through from behind. And then cold darkness set in. The… lifeless kind, she can only describe it as. A void left in the wake of whatever mind used to be there.
“I had been practicing… my Blessing… and…” she continues, though her throat begins to feel thick and sticky. The reality of not only witnessing death, but experiencing it, is starting to set in now that her panic is almost over.
“‘And’?” Devin presses, his voice impatient. A firm hand rests on her shoulder, the buzz of static against her neck.
“Why must healers be so dramatic?” Cassie comments with a bored sigh.
“She’s not being dramatic,” Devin corrects.
“My!” Cassie huffs back hollowly.
Devin only sighs and turns his attention back to Jae, saying, “Jae, you can’t claim a murder happened like this-”
“It’s not a claim,” Jae finally snaps back, raising her head and opening her eyes once more. She stares back at Devin as she adds, “It happened.”
“Then who was it? Where did it happen? How?” More questions glow in his eyes, but he remains fixated on the situation at hand. He’s itching for justice.
“Perhaps sending the guard so quickly is not the best idea,” Samuel finally speaks up.
“What if it’s the Guardians?” Devin responds. “If we catch them now-”
“And risk alerting them, driving them further into hiding?”
Devin taps the table, his frustration apparent. Is he even in charge of the royal guard? Only the king died, so his advisor should still hold power over them, not Devin.
“‘What if’,” Cassie snorts as she rolls across the table top. “You all have been doing what? For how many cycles? Any being could have been smuggled onto the island! Stars only know how many Guardians are hiding here now after the declaration was made.”
Samuel’s expression darkens with a tinge of shame.
“All the more reason-” Devin starts.
“No,” Samuel cuts him off. “We’ll have time to deal with internal affairs once we have our current goals in order. This is a matter to be discussed with Killian.”
Devin shoots Samuel a glower, clearly displeased by his decision.
Jae grows troubled as well, while all the bickering occurs. This is the first death she’s been aware of, but the healers have been harassed and attacked for a while now. Have there been other murders that have happened and gone unnoticed? Or is this just the beginning of a far more sinister plot she bore witness to?
“All I know…” she says slowly, “was it was in an alley, and a sword was used from behind. I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright,” Samuel reassures her, patting her gently. “Take some time to collect yourself.”
She nods, though feels the need to add with mild reluctance, “Cassie’s… right. Many healers have been attacked lately. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the Guardians’ doing.”
“Really?” Devin asks. His face hardly changes, though he shifts uncomfortably from one foot to the other, leaning back and folding his arms. The static radiating from Samuel grows stronger out of alarm.
Jae nods. They never heard about it?
“That… certainly changes things,” Samuel states. He turns to his advisor and orders, “I want that meeting with your father as soon as we can have it.”
Devin gives him a nod of understanding, then rushes out of the room.
“I suppose I’ll get to my own work now,” Cassie sighs. She jumps off of the table and struts out of the room herself. A moment later, a distant cackle echo floats back into the dining hall before fading away.
Samuel turns back to Jae. “How are you feeling?”
“A little sick,” she replies simply.
Samuel stares at her for a moment, contemplating his next choice of words. In this silence, a sense of unease grows in the back of Jae’s mind, reminding her of the third remaining unseen presence in the room. Has Isaac been listen to the conversation all this time? Is that even possible for him to do?
But he, too, is quiet.
“Do you think you will be able to maintain your focus for a little while longer?” Samuel inquires.
Jae hesitates. She doesn’t know for sure. But the storm hasn’t returned yet. All those minds are so distant from her right now, aside from Isaac’s of course. So she nods. “Yes, probably.”
“Good,” he hums. “We will need you to explain what exactly has been happening with the healers, and how you knew that a murder took place at all.”
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