The Heretics

15: Illusions

Dante's blood began to sizzle as he made his way down to the seaside, where the Keinarnin held the three traitors they had imprisoned there, earlier that day. Ryker was with him, whereas Reagan was caught up with discussions with the some of the High Sentinels and Tyrion busied himself with the townsfolk. If anyone was close to the people, it was Tyrion. He was liked by all, while Reagan was respected, Dante feared and Ryker appreciated as one who shared news. They each had their roles to uphold. As Dante and Ryker both strapped themselves into the pods, letting the Moska wrap itself around their skin and pull their bodies into its cushioned substance, the capsule dropped, and Dante felt like his intestines were being moved to places they didn't belong. He became slightly nauseated, like he usually did, despite coming down here frequently.

He wasn't happy with his role, especially because it meant dealing with situations like these. Ryker, being the one who brought news to either the Queen or the people, usually accompanied whoever needed his aid more urgently. It was mostly Dante, since Dante was the one who took care of the things no one else wanted or enjoyed.

Once the capsules gently touched down and a grim light offered by a long torch lit the stone-based corridor, Dante and his twin exited the capsules and hurried down the narrow length with tensed steps. Albeit Zeit had already informed Emerin, Koder, Zula and Renin about the traitors, there had not been word back that things were alright. Zeit was a loyal, trusted and reliable officer. He knew that if things were critical to report back immediately, no matter the cost. Especially now where times were hard and instincts melted down to self-preservation above all else, reliability was difficult to come by. A lot of their own people had withdrawn themselves to their birthplaces, amongst the mountains and caves scattered across Espheros. Some even resorted to treason, which were those that came onto a list called; the Sermin. It was a list that was burned into everyone's memory. Dante could recall it if needed and if he'd eliminated or captured a name, it would cross itself out and everyone with access to the list felt it as physical pain and see it updated as a mental picture.

The uncertainty of what would await them inside the prison made even someone like Dante nervous. The traitors were but shifters, yet unease still glided through his muscles. They almost killed Ryker during flight, and not even unknowing, naive shifters could have been capable of such a thing. Because of that, Dante would not make the same mistake again of underestimating a species he'd only had little contact with. Those in power, he'd noticed, were cunning and deceiving, but smart and calculated still.

Ryker glanced at Dante once the two of them reached a large, wooden door with iron handles and wet planks. It was the only entrance to the cells, where the prisoners were kept locked behind bars. A sense of a dangerous foreboding settled between them that pumped adrenaline into Dante's blood and tightened his muscles.

And when he opened the door, his heart stopped for a split second.

Time stilled then, as if it continued in slow motion merely for the purpose to torture Dante's nerves.

What enfolded before him was a sight that first made his blood run cold, and then boil with an intense fury that latched onto his senses and controlled him with impossible ease.

Both his friends and officers, Koder and Zula, were lying on the ground with blood pooling around their motionless bodies. Their eyes were white balls of milky glass, and their throats were cut so deep, Dante could see bones poke out through the flesh.

He looked at Ryker and stopped breathing.

Ryker's face was grave, and Dante knew they were far beyond saving.

A cold suddenly spread throughout the Keinarnin, like a blanket of mist that turned everything it touched to ice. Darkness enveloped the two brothers as a deep voice sang through the eerie dungeons, calling to both of them.

Dante noticed shadows dance along the stones that were scarcely lit by the torch in the corridor, as the door was left open. They began climbing up to the ceiling. For a moment he wasn't sure if he was imagining them. And when a breath of air touched his neck from behind, one that sent a wave of dread through his entire body, he knew that they were not alone. His fire of anger was whisked out with nothing but a breath and replaced by a terror he seldom experienced.

"Ssssso here we are," the voice echoed, shadows turning into smoke as they fogged up the prison. Ryker looked around frantically as Dante tried to find signs of either the traitors or his other two officers, Emerin or Renin.

Ryker shook his head and Dante knew that there was no life but theirs between the cold, stone walls that grew smaller as the smoke thickened.

Dante suddenly felt a sense of panic and jumped back when the smoke touched his skin and burned away the first layer of it. And that's when Ryker and Dante finally reacted, awoken from their initial petrification, and their minds regained control of their bodies.

"We need to get out of here," Ryker murmured, his voice resounding like an echo.

And then a hollow laugh bellowed towards them, and a gust of wind blew past Dante, as if someone had just flown past him. His skin prickled.

"You won't get rid of me ssssso eassssily," the voice hissed.

"You will die, Kintar. The vatess has foreseen it," Ryker claimed and Dante stared at him with wide eyes at his mention of Kintar. Then it dawned on him and he remembered.

Of course. Kintar was mocking them in his brutality like a murderous king laughing upon his people.

When Dante looked down at his arm, where the smoke had touched and burned him, there was nothing. Just his dark hair covering most of the scars on his forearm. No charred skin. No new scars.

"Not before all of you do," Kintar's voice echoed, it's deep sound slithering through the smoke as it slowly began to retreat, as if Ryker had scared him off with nothing but the words of a vatess.

Kintar was not a fool.

"We sssshall met again sssssoon, brotherssss."

And then the atmosphere vibrated, making Dante's head spin, and nearly causing him to lose balance, as the illusion faded and all that was left were the bodies of his officers and three empty cells.

There was not a trace of Emerin or Renin. Zeit was missing too.

The traitors were free. And they knew where Polla'Nisia was.

And now, so did Kintar.