The Gathering: Old Ghosts

The moon was full, reflecting its pale aura down on the Castle Gemini as Nira Hart stepped out of the War Ministry Offices and made her way to the Imperial Throne Room. Het boots clicked and clacked along the stone corridor as she marched.

She approached a small outcropping that overlooked a larger portion of the castle, and the city center below. Nira slowed her march and approached the small balcony. She stood at the window looking out over the minarets of the palace, and the city below. The moon's glow casting a ghastly veil over the sleeping city. Nira turned from the view and resumed her path to the throne room.

She was still trying to make sense of the report that she had just received: Lazarus Kail was alive in the Empire. Twelve years had passed since the she had heard his name.

Dazmonova was already in the antechamber when Nira walked in. The Knight was walking along the border of the Seal of the Empire that was emblazoned on the floor. "Good evening, Minister," she said when Nira came into the room.

"Is it, Marina?" Nira said.

"No, Minister, I suppose not," Dazmonova smiled. "I would be lying if I said that I wasn't eager for a shot at him myself." She was one of the first people that Gideon recruited when he started the uprisng that led to the Ash War. Since that time, she had been instrumental in the formation of the Empire. Now she was the Master-at-Arms, the top ranking Knight. "There will be consequences for us all in this."

"Don't be dramatic, Marina. Worry about your Knights, keep your predictions to yourself."

"I was there, Nira!" The Knight's steel voice reverberated off the antechamber walls in a grotesque echo.

"Do get ahold yourself, Paladin!" Nira snapped back. Technically, she outranked Dazmonova, but the two of them had shared ammunition on the battlefields, toppled outposts, and helped shape the Imperial law enforcement into what it was.

The door at the far end of the antechamber creaked open and was followed by the boot heel clicks of the Lord High Constable. "Minister, Paladin, is he ready for us?" she asked. Ava Cross was a tall, slender woman. Her normally long black hair was pulled back and pinned in a tight braid at the back of her head. Despite being an immortal, she looked grim and tired. Her pale blue eyes were cloudy, and almost puffy from a tireless night.

"Good evening, Ava," Dazmonova said.

"How long have you known, Ava?" Nira asked.

"I informed you just as soon as I had received the word, Minister, I swear it! A messenger from Motropolis came with the information a few hours ago in the night," Ava said.

"Come now, Ava. You're smarter than that," Nira said.

"I've sent additional all terrain officers to the area to conduct sweeps. I also have recommendations, Paladin Dazmonova, for Knight deployments," she said removing a folder from the bundle under her arm and handing it to the Knight.

"And when did you start taking point on my chevvies?" Dazmonova said, taking the folder.

"They're suggestions, Marina, don't get your spurs twisted," Cross said.

"It appears that your ambition has gotten us into trouble, Ava. We're just trying to make sure it doesn't happen again," Nira said.

"This is pretty in line with what I had set up," Dazmonova said, looking over the requisition list. "I've already sent teams to Vineland and Polaris."

Nira did not believe that Cross could look grimmer. When Dazmonova spoke, she saw Cross lose what little color she had left. She did not want to believe it herself.

For twelve cycles now, she had thought that this part of her past was behind her. Now the Chalets were dead, a headless H-Man had rode into Windeburg just that morning, and there were rumors that Lazarus Kail was behind all of it. She had tried to hang on to the hope that they were mistaken, but a few lifetimes had cured her sense of coincidence.

"Her Excellency will have something to say about the increase of constables," Cross said.

"Very likely," Dazmonova chimed in, trying to cut some of the tension.

"Ari can say whatever she wants, but until she is the Empress, it is no concern of ours," Nira said. "Is that understood?"

"Yes, Minister," Cross said, cowering. "There was one other thing."

"And what is that?"

"There have been a few incidents in Thunduria. Some small syndicate, they appear to largely be dying youths. They're calling themselves the Sea Orchids. Just wanted to keep you informed. It's nothing that can't be contained." Cross regained some of her stature at this, confident in herself.

"Are we containing it, Ava?" Nira asked.

"Minister?" Cross asked, confused.

"You said 'nothing that can't be contained.' That tells me that the problem is ongoing. So, I'll ask you again: is it being contained?"

"Oh, yes, Minister. I've taken measures to ensure that this is the first and last you'll hear of them," Cross said quickly.

"Measures? Better make sure an EK team goes out there too. And don't mention it to the Emperor. Stick to Lazarus."

Cross nodded in agreement, and Nira placed her hand on the large, emblazoned door and opened it. A gust of perfumed wind blew out onto the three women. It was rich in vanilla and lavender; almost noxious. The large throne stood against the far end of the room on a dais. The throne itself was a thick framed chair cased in gold. There were three panels below the seat, each depicting a different scene from history: Gideon in the Wilderness, The QC Surrender, and the Battle of Glass Beach. It was the last one that Cross' eyes went to once the three of them had reached the front of the dais.

Golden dunes on the bottom of the panel gave way to glassy waves breaking on the shore. There were figures in the relief, one standing over a body in the sand. The standing figure was Ava Cross, and the body was that of Lazarus Kail.

On the right wall of the room was an enormous balcony that looked out over the city. Standing at the edge was a man clad in a regal military suit, with long hair that glistened in the moonlight. "I must say that when my Lord High Constable, War Minister, and the Master-at-Arms call for a meeting in the middle of the night that it disturbs my calm." Gideon turned to face his officers, as they approached. Each bowed before him, Cross going down to one knee. "Now, what is this all about?"

"Your Majesty, Lazarus has returned," Nira said. The silence that followed was so absolute that Nira could hear the blood swimming through her veins. Gideon turned back towards the balcony and waled to the banister, looking down over the city. Nira, Dazmonova, and Cross all exchanged looks while his back was turned, unsure if they should follow.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, and yet, I am," he said finally to the night sky. He then turned back to the women and asked, "How did this happen?"

"Majesty?" Nira asked.

"The last time I heard that name uttered, was on a report that he had been killed fleeing Purgatory. In fact, that report was written by you, Ava," the Emperor said as he turned all his focus to Cross. "And I believe that you were credited with the kill, if I am not mistaken," Gideon said, throwing a glance at his throne. "I even seem to remember the ceremony where I elevated you to your current rank. Am I remembering correctly, Ava?" the Emperor said, making a heavy show of eyeing the silver on Cross' collar.

"Yes, your Majesty," Cross said, trying to straighten herself and avoid eye contact as Gideon began pacing in a small circle in front of her and Nira. "I remember the day very clearly."

"Spare me your recollection, Ava. It is irrelevant, and evidently, unreliable. As it stands, we have confirmed sightings from eyewitnesses on the ground, living and dying alike. Not to mention a score of dead H-men and constables at least one of whom was made to suffer the indignity of being killed and lashed to his steed. One of us, made into a fool."

Nira saw Cross' eyes grow wide and her body stiffened; a strong wind might have blown her right over.

"What? Did you think that this is the first I've heard of his return?" Gideon continued, seeing Cross' frozen visage. "Lazarus Kail has in fact come back. And what does that mean, exactly?" he asked, stopping in front of Cross. "Hmm?"

"I'm not sure I understand, Your Majesty," Cross said, sweat beginning to trickle from her temples.

"The fact that Lazarus Kail has been seen in the country means what about your report from Purgatory?"

"It-it means that I was...I was wrong, your Majesty," Cross stammered.

"Thank you, Ava, that was all I needed to hear." Gideon reached out and placed his left hand on Cross' shoulder, lightly squeezing the way a parent does to comfort a child. Cross closed her eyes and tears ran down her face. From inside the jacket he wore, Gideon drew a short sword with the imperial seal on the hilt, and a polished amethyst pommel. In one motion his hand moved from Cross' shoulder to her hair where he clamped down, and with his right hand brought down the sword, decapitating his Lord High Constable. Her body fell immediately, a great pool of blood flowing out both halves of her neck. He held her head up by the hair and let the fluid run out of it before turning it to his own face. Her eyes were closed, presumably in prayer, and there was no grimace on it. He tossed the head aside, unsatisfied. "Make sure that Ingham is made aware of his promotion, and please, remind him of the responsibilities of the office?" he said to Nira as he walked over to a cabinet by the window.

"Yes, your Majesty," Nira said. She was still looking at Cross' body. She was a liability. She lied for over a decade about the biggest threat to the Empire. She deserved this. So what was this feeling then? Deep in the recesses of her mind; something long forgotten. Nira supposed tt could have been sadness, but she pushed it down and dismissed it as weakness.

"Ambition is something to be stamped out. If is not, then it runs rampant burning everything in its path. There is no place for it in my Empire," Gideon said. "Now, I've read the report, but what is the real situation? What is being whispered?" Gideon then took a kerchief from an end table and cleaned the blood off his sword.

"There was a sighting of Lazarus and an Old Man in Motropolis. They met with a slave trader before heading to the ducal estate. The Chalets have been killed. Gwoltzer has already been reinstated, she took a dirigible to Motropolis today," Nira said.

"Well, I'll never say that the man never did anything for me. I was growing all too weary of those living filth being on the payroll. Good thing we've ended that cat and mouse game. Slave traders and the Chalets? What are you up to old friend?" Gideon asked, more to himself.

"Interrogations are still being conducted. We should have a better idea in the next day or so," Nira said, relaxing only but a little.

"We've sent out advance orders to Vineland and Polaris already, and we've got drafts ready for the remaining cities," Dazmonova said.

"I had been led to believe that there were two sightings?" Gideon asked.

"Ingham is getting the details of the other incident, Your Majesty," Nira said.

"Wonderful. Who have you sent to Vineland and Polaris, Marina?" he asked, directing his attention to Dazmonova.

"The Pale Horses have gone to Vineland, and the Honarim have been sent to Polaris, Majesty," the Knight responded.

As Gideon considered the information, the door to the room swung open again, and Knox Ingham walked in trying to brush off debris that had clung to him in his travel. "Your Majesty," he said after an initial shock at seein Nira and Dazmonova in addition to the Emperor. "I've just come from Clayfield, and there has been a revolt. We have quelled it, but you should know that there were a few constables that thought they had seen Lazarus Kail. When I received the word, I came straightway."

"Knox, we were just talking about you," Gideon said, a large smile coming across his face. "Congratulations on your new post. I trust you'll do a better job than your predecessor."

Ingham then followed the Emperor's hand to the headless body on the ground, and stammered out, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Thank you, Knox. Well, that about makes it official; Lazarus Kail is alive in my backyard causing havoc. Just like old times. What was the extent of the revolt?"

"A holdout family, Majesty. Apparently two of our deputy ministers defected and helped the family escape the city. I took the liberty of dispatching orders to the ATOs in the area and put out an alert to all the cities. We'll find them," Ingham said. He was trying not to stare at Cross' body in the middle of the room, or her head that had landed two meters away.

"Paperless travelers will not last long in the Outlands," Dazmonova said crossing her arms.

"Brixton said that delays to the rebuild should be minimal. Thankfully, Lazarus was discreet," Ingham said, cautioning a smile that quickly evaporated upon seeing the Emperor's face.

Gideon's visage had contorted from its calm, almost understanding gaze to an evil grimace focused on Ingham. "Tell me Knox, what amuses you about Lazarus Kail putting our people under his knives?"

The newly-appointed Lord High Constable stood as frozen as his former boss, who lay not two meters from him. "I meant no credit to the man, Your Majesty," Ingham managed to utter beneath the bristles of his mustache. "Only that through his actions, our plans have not been hampered."

"I'm afraid that's where you are wrong, old friend," Gideon said, seeming to recede back into his previous persona. "We were on the cusp of something new. A world without Lazarus Kail. He was beginning to fade. The fact that he was dead had helped a great deal.

"This will cause noise, louder than we have seen in an age. We would do well to remember what got us here," he said.

"The Prophecy has already failed," Ingham said.

Gideon lowered his brow and stopped pacing. "Then what is the old boy up to?"

"He was smuggling mortals out of the country last time. Maybe he thought he laid low long enough to start up again?" Ingham asked.

Gideon considered and resumed pacing. "Perhaps. What are the specific of the incidents in Motropolis? I am struggling to understand how he passed through so many fingers."

"The initial report was filed by Justin Gaffe, mayor of Green Water," Nira said.

"Dying, no doubt," Dazmonova scoffed.

"This is doing nothing for my confidence in the mortals to be anything more than laborers."

"Does this Gaffe have a history anti-Imperial sentiment?" Ingham asked.

"Nothing reported," Nira said, scanning the contents of the folder.

"No ties to the Lazarene then," Gideon said. "It matters not. This dying mayor has failed in his duties. Knox, have him arrested and killed for treason. Imperial order. If he had been doing his job, we would have Kail in custody."

"Of course, Majesty," Ingham said.

"One more thing, Knox," Gideon said. "Have word sent to Ledyard."

"Ledyard? You think we need the Jackal?" a visible chill running though Ingham.

"It does seem that way," Gideon said indicating Cross' body with his gold tipped boot.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Ingham replied. He did not wait for further suggestion, clicked his heals and excused himself from the throne room through the large wooden door.

"Nira," Gideon said, as she was about to turn to follow Knox out of the throne room. Dazmonova continued to the door, and when she was not bidden, went through it. "How is my cousin?" Gideon asked.

"He seemed well the last we spoke. He wrote last lunar that plans were being drawn up for a second seaward expedition. He wants to go to the Homestead on Unification Day next year," Nira responded.

"Does he? Still a home-body after all these years?"

"Still," Nira said. She had not physically seen her husband in six lunars, but she could no longer remember the last time that she actually missed him. When they had first wed nearly four cents ago, it was all passion and lust. It was a different time; the Empire was still gestating in Gideon's mind then. There air almost always smelled of hot metal and blood in those times.

"And how are you taking this development?" Gideon asked.

"Majesty?" Nira asked.

"Twelve years is nothing to us. But this last twelve, thinking that he was really gone. It was blissful," he said, looking out onto his moonlit city.

"We should have--"

"Tut,' Gideon said, whipping around and bringing his forefinger to his lips. "There is no use thinking about what should have been done, because it wasn't. So, what do we do?"

"We're doing it, Majesty. We are sending all available forces to locate and capture them," Nira said.

"Each attempt to upset the Crown weakens us. Its turns people against us, and threatens to pen us to attack," Gideon said.

"Cross lied to us. We will catch him and put him down."

"If it comes down to the two of you, will you?" Gideon asked, standing squarely with his War Minister.

"Without hesitation," Nira said, standing at attention. Gideon revealed nothing in his expression and dropped his gaze in thought. "My loyalty has only ever been to you and the Empire, Your Majesty," she added.

"We shall see. You are part of this family, Nira, and I have had no greater faith than your sword on the field. In this, know that if I am crossed, nothing will stop my retribution," Gideon said. Nira nodded, and then bowed to turn and leave. "One more thing. On your way, please find someone to pick that up?" he said as she passed Cross' body.