Hard Light (NaNoWriMo15)

Chapter 29 - Mark of the Preserver

Leah wasn't sure why she was surprised to find Asriel's room the same size as her own.

His furniture was different, though. A table with four chairs took up most of the space, with only a small shelf along the wall to hold his books. The bed was pushed to the corner, like it was a nuisance rather than a necessity.

Leah sat on the chair Asriel pulled out for her. Her fingers never drifted far from her Hilt, her eyes never leaving his face, watching for the first sign of deceit. She knew she wasn't good at picking up lies based on gut feelings, but it made her feel like less of an idiot for walking into a room--alone--with someone who'd caught her with Kieran.

Asriel sat on the chair beside her, settling into his seat with a sigh. He still had the nervous twitch to every movement, every glance like he was expecting to find something.

"So," said Asriel. "Where do I start?" He thought about it for a moment. "I suppose Emrys is the heart of the matter. Without him, none of it would be relevant right now."

"How much did you hear?" asked Leah.

"Enough to know that you don't trust him," said Asriel. "And for good reason. I've been his second-in-command for some time now, and..." He drifted off, his eyes flicking up to meet Leah's. "Before I continue, I wish to make it perfectly clear that nothing we say leaves this room. If he even vaguely suspects, we might both find ourselves Shattered by the end of the week."

"Why trust me at all then?" said Leah. Not the best move when you still needed information, but she was curious. "It wouldn't have been hard to catch me as I came out of the research lab to turn me in, or just pretend you'd never heard anything."

Asriel glanced at her orb. "Because you're smart. You've been able to get this far on your own, and the information I have you won't be able to find anywhere else without Emrys knowing you have it. To my knowledge, there are only four people alive who know what I am about to tell you--Emrys, myself, the Human's leader and her second. That said, it wouldn't be hard to figure out where you got this information. Understand?"

Leah nodded.

Asriel's eyes drifted. "Now, first. Emrys. I'll tell you now, I don't know what his end game is. I suspect it has something to do with the homeland and the Ancient ways. It's a stretch, but he could be looking to also take land back off the humans. From what I heard you say to Kieran, I believe you already know of his ability to influence and control Radiants, correct?"

"It's all just theory," said Leah. "I've been guessing, based on the evidence I've been given. Kieran said there was something influencing him, but before Sef Shattered, it wasn't just influence. Whatever that voice was had direct control of him, enough to Shatter him before he hit zero Light. The only thing the two have in common is the white hair."

Asriel shifted in his chair. "Though I've never seen it in person, I'd believe what you said about Sef. And white hair, you say?" He frowned when Leah nodded. "White hair is usually only seen in Radiants who have mastered Light itself. Emrys himself once had hair the colour of the sky, but though I could believe he has mastered it--Sef and Kieran, I cannot. Though... it might explain..."

He trailed off, leaving Leah to lean forward. "Explain what?"

Asriel leaned back, steepling his fingers together. "The Slayers," he said. "They are under the direct control of the recognised Radiant leader, currently Emrys, and they also have white hair. This is not a new thing, but it makes me wonder if Emrys has found a way to extend that control to other Radiants. Not just Slayers."

"Kieran said they weren't normal Radiants," said Leah. "Is that true?"

"Indeed," said Asriel. "The Slayers were Radiants once, but now they are beings of pure Light. Ageless and immune to disease, they are still able to be killed, but in Ancient times the six that bore the title Slayer were the sacred protectors of the Radiant leader."