Chapter 26: Better Left Unsaid
A featureless hallway was before them, devoid of people or signs.
“We really don’t have any idea of where to go,” Riley said, looking up towards Tobias.
“We don’t even know where we are,” Tobias added with a sigh, pinching the skin between his eyes.
“A place to sleep, a bit of tea, and a nice meal would do wonders right now,” he continued.
Riley nodded absently as she mentally leafed through her prompts, pulling up their map.
“This is fundamentally unhelpful,” she glowered with a sigh.
‘It’s not like I’m not omniscient. You’ve got legs, explore!’ The prompt came with an angry red background; its black words were sparking as if ready to catch flame.
“Geez, touchy,” Riley glowered.
Castle Cinder was displayed, along with a purple glowing dot indicating their location, amongst a sea of black that appeared like someone had spilled ink all over her map.
“We know we’re in the main portion of Castle Cinder at least, and there’s the parade grounds, so I guess we go left?” Tobias shrugged.
Riley nodded. “It's as good as right, better even; there’s a logic to it.”
“So we should go right then?” Tobias looked down and grinned madly.
“Left, I think, follow your first instincts, boy!” Riely said, quoting from the “Book of Cid.”
As they walked, navigating the labyrinthine corridors, there was a curious lack of people. Iron bands that protruded from doors had fine layers of dust that covered them, along with a general silence that, mixed with the narrow walls, made the castle feel abandoned.
“So, are we going to talk about it? You’re being far too quiet,” Tobias prompted Riley.
“And you’re being far too calm. I know what you’re feeling, and I know when you’re masking. I also know we left a hell of a lot out of our report,” she challenged back.
“It's nothing we haven’t discussed before. We live in color, in a black and white kingdom, to borrow your metaphor. General Ecbert referred to Westphalia as a resource before dismissing our concerns. It’s the same thing over and over, but every time, it surprises me,” as he spoke, Riley could feel the dam breaking on all he was holding back.
“What bothers me is that Westphalia would agree with Ecbert. That kid doesn’t think he has a future left,” Riley followed while her ears drooped.
“I fear he doesn’t. I know he’s alive, but to Westphalia and the Kingdom, he’s a failure. You know how much I feared washing out on my trials, and for good reason. A life of confinement and servitude isn’t a life, Riley,” Tobias agreed.
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"So, did I do the right thing? Was it wrong to bring him back? Was he better off... dead?” A chill froze Riley’s soul as she forced out the words across their connection.
Tobias sighed, “We resolved to make better choices,”
Riley stopped, “What does that mean?”
Inwardly, he could feel her searching, reaching for context.
“You chose to save him, to bring him back, and now Westphalia has a choice about how to face the life he has left. Do... Do you remember when we got drafted into the Ranger Corps?” Tobias asked, pausing in the empty hallway.
“Everyone was terrified. Me included,” Riley surmised.
Tobias nodded, “And for a few weeks, it was hell. Cid did everything he could to break us down. We saw some awful things, but we survived, we adapted, and we’re still adapting,”
“You grew up,” Riley praised.
“More than that, I learned who I was, and I learned to see in color. Between you and Cid, I found the courage to question and live my own truths,” Tobias said before setting off again.
Up ahead was a double door, arched at the top.
“We also learned how to lie. We didn’t tell the General everything,” Riley prompted again.
“We did at that. We’re already outsiders, and you saw how he reacted about the crystal. Ecbert is like every other noble and petty political sycophant in the kingdom. They care about the status quo, and Gods help you if you’re outside it,” Tobias’ anger popped, and as if on reflex, his breathing deepened.
“We aren’t welcome, and we’re never going to be welcome. He didn’t even care to give us directions, and that’s the way it’s always been. Go here, do that, figure it out,” Riley brooded.
“Cid was and is a right bastard, but he’s an honest one, and he does it because he cares. I never thought I’d fit in with the Blackblades, but they turned out to be perfect for us. There was no room for politics. It was about keeping the kingdom safe because it had to be,” reaching the double doors, Tobias threw them open to reveal that they were three stories up. A large patio framed by crenelations looked out over the parade ground.
Down below, aspiring Greyblades ran their formations and worked through obstacle courses. A perfectly blue sky, with no sun, hung over them like a backdrop in a play.
“Dead end,” Riley looked out over the training area, with all of the people moving about.
“In more ways than one. I wonder how many will survive to get their crystal torcs?” Tobias shrugged his shoulders, “whatever assignment we get, we keep our heads down and our mouths shut. The Ashenrealm is on a need-to-know basis only.”
He spat, his eyes narrowing in unmasked disdain.
“That's going to be hard if we’re going to be hunting Chadrick. There’s going to be a lot of aristocratic involvement. Remember how hard it was for the Generals at Ranger Central to make a move?” Riley prompted again.
“He's still of the Royal line, even if he’s got Venosicipher inside of him. Maybe they’ll send a first-tier team instead, and we can go... do something else? Maybe they’ll just let us be forgotten in Astor Hall?” Tobias sighed, clinging to false hope.
“Yeah, that’s rich,” Riley snarked.
“Yeah, and more’s to pity,” Tobias said bitterly, turning back toward the door.
“You know, this situation sucks, but we’ve got it figured out. We know where we are going to stand and what we are going to do about it. We choose the right thing. It’s that easy,” Riley said with shaky conviction.
“Which is why it’s the hardest choice there is,” Tobias replied, stepping back through the door.
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