Unbroken Curiosity

Chapter 10 (Part 2): The Heretic

13 Months Ago

"I found it... I have learned the words." Byron Cobalt smiled. He knelt next to the stones; their names were carved into them. Damien Cobalt... Stavi Rove... It had been a lonely journey...

After his father's death, Stavi took Byron to Cobalt's Rest. It was a small planet far from Sanctuary and the only world House Cobalt still owned. There, they buried his father. For the next 16 years, Byron and Stavi worked on the Shard, trying to decrypt it or find the house's missing words. But as time passed, the loyal noble servant of House Cobalt grew old and sick. Stavi died, leaving the legacy of House Cobalt in Byron's hands.

The work nearly consumed him. Almost every hour of every day, he slaved away, studying the shard. When not studying the shard, he studied his family's history. His mother, his sister, Pauli and even the Church became distant thoughts. Only the words of the book remained close to him. One must not become a slave to one's work... The Book of The Creator said. But the words grew hollow... Meaningless. Stavi was not a believer.

"If there truly was a Creator, would he have let us suffer?" Stavi would say. "For aeons, your house and mine suffered. Through the Age of War and the Age of Turmoil. What has the Creator done for us? NOTHING... Even his prophecy... This Chosen One... It is nothing more than a lie. It has been years... Yet this child has not been found..."

On that, Byron disagreed with Stavi. Since the Day of Happenings, Laniakea has been at peace. For almost 16 years, there has been no war. If there was a Chosen One... The promise of his birth put the universe at ease. But as the Wider Universe enjoyed its peace, Byron noted a change. There was unrest in the population. The nobles were doing less and less for their people each year. They only furthered their own goals, trying to steal power from others, not caring whom they harmed in the process. The people suffered.

They are suffering, yes. But under whom? The Creator and his plan? OR the nobles... TO PARANOID to do anything. TO Afraid that anything they do will lead to another GREAT WAR... Byron's disdain for the other noble houses grew with each passing day.

A disdain that soon turned to hatred.

It started with the coming of a lord. His name was Irthaas Elln. A lesser lord from Heroshi. His visit was a surprise. Byron was unprepared to host another noble, especially one that arrived unannounced. As news of Lord Elln's arrival came, Byron ordered his few servants to prepare dinner and receive the lord in the dining hall.

His keep was small and old. Its name was Cobalt's Solace. What few renovations Byron's grandfather made were only made for upkeep. Most of the structure was made of Imperial Black Rock, but as 12000 years passed, the lower levels of Cobalt's Solace became a decrepit ruin. The upper levels had a few rooms, a kitchen, an old library, and an entry hall that doubled for a dining hall. The entry hall led to the outside, where a bridge connected to a landing pad.

Below the bridge was an untamed wilderness. A forest full of life. According to Stavi, his ancestors used to host grand hunts before the War. But now, friendless, House Cobalt allowed the wilderness to reclaim what was once claimed by civilisation. Below the keep, in the wilderness, underneath the earth, there were ruins, more decrepit than the lower levels of the keep. Ruins that hinted at House Cobalt's previous grandeur.

Byron elected to meet Lord Elln on the bridge. The lord's shuttle arrived, landing smoothly on the landing pad. It was a small shuttle, not as luxurious as Byron expected. Lord Elln was odd-looking. He was a stout little man, wearing a coat of white silk. Underneath he wore a blue shirt with white pants. His hair was long and blond, tied together into a ponytail. His eyes were blue. But his most striking feature was his lips: Thin, with a hint of red lipstick.