Reflections Of The Sun/Part 5
“What interesting eyes you have,” remarked the old man. Reflection looked up from the book he’d been reading and leaped from his seat. The ancient human before him looked harmless but he’d somehow come upon Reflection without making a sound.
This was one of Concluding Emollient’s homes, a palatial mansion on the outskirts of Nexus. Warded and well guarded, Reflection was more secure here than he was anywhere else in the world short of Yu-Shun…and perhaps more than he was even there. So how this old man had come upon him merited much thought.
“They are not mine, but left to me. I…wish that my eyes were my own again…” Reflection felt…at peace. Comfortable. Even…happy. How long had it been since he’d been happy? Had he ever been happy? So why did he feel happy now?
“Yes. A ghost hid inside of your destiny, didn’t he? He hoped to ride your destiny, to chain it and use it to fulfill his own desires and dreams. Concealed Heraldry of Righteous Incandescence. The Grand Inspector of the Night Caste. You bear the marks of his control still. Poor, poor mortal child. If only you had known him in life. He was the best of the Solar.”
“I have no wish to know more of the Demon Ghost,” Reflection said harshly, the horror of his past banishing the waves of happiness and peace that suffused him. And yet just as quickly, the horror drained and he felt…rested.
“The Demon Ghost. You know of the role the Sidereal had in the fall of the Solar?” Reflection nodded. “Have you ever wondered what this world would be like if…he had gotten his chance? The Concealed Heraldry of Righteous Incandescence knew of the Solar corruption and in time he might have done something about it. Who is to say what could have occurred if he had been given the chance?”
“I can say, my old friend,” Concluding Emollient said as he stepped into the room. “I was there, as were you. You know what the Prophecy said. You know what…the other Prophecies said. We did as we were required.”
“And such peace has resulted, has it not?” The old Sidereal who radiated happiness said.
“All things must end. All things. The Realm’s time passed.” Concluding Emollient looked as serene as the other Sidereal, and yet it was clear that he was bothered by something. Reflection lacked any talent at reading the face, but he had known his mentor five years now and he had grown experienced at learning his expressions.
“As our time will pass?” the visitor said in turn.
“Even the Chosen of the Maidens must live their time, then die. My time is not too distant. Nor is yours, I would bargain. Old we are now, in some ways old beyond our time. And yet all things have an ending. We have only the time allotted to us and no more.” Concluding Emollient looked satisfied.
“Which brings us to the Te Sidel, does it not?” replied the Sidereal.
“Yes, it does,” Concluding Emollient nodded. Reflection thought he looked surprised but he could not be certain. Reading people’s faces was such a complicated activity, one beyond his experience or practice. Surprise was not something he saw often enough to be able to mark it.
“Then you know what is to be?”
“No more and no less than you, my old friend.” Concluding Emollient still looked comfortable, but plainly curious.
“Ah. Then that, too, is what is meant to be.”
Ragingly powerful controlled Essence crackled and Reflection was actually thrown into the air as blazing white fire bloomed to life in the old Sidereal’s hand and shot forward so fast the shockwave pushed everything in the room away. Reflection tumbled and regained his feet and ducked one of the couches as the shockwave threw it against the wall.
A resounding gong boomed through the room as the ball of light exploded against Concluding Emollient with no effect, as the Chosen of Ending’s anima roared to life and swatted the attack away.
Again, crackling fire burst into the air and again the shockwave threw Reflection down as old Sidereal attacked his mentor again. Again, the gong sounded as the Anima absorbed the violent attack.
“Why do you fight me!” shouted Concluding Emollient, strain showing on his old face as his anima’s light burst forward and intercepted the third such strike.
“Because some things end and some things shouldn’t!” shouted the foreign Sidereal. Again and again, white fire struck Concluding Emollient. The backlash of power shredded the walls, broke furniture and was rapidly leveling the whole mansion. Reflection endured the painful force but he was unable to get close enough to help.
“I won’t let you become the Te Sidel!” Concluding Emollient thundered as his anima boomed with another explosion. Yet each attack apparently took so much concentration to stop that he could not mount an effective offense.
“The Realm is love,” the old man answered. “And I love it. Enough even for this!”
A bolt of fire licked over Concluding Emollient’s anima and both faded away. And then a last ball howled into being and struck Concluding Emollient squarely. Reflection’s Sidereal mentor collapsed where he stood.
“You didn’t see this coming, did you, Concluding Emollient?” said the invading Sidereal.
“No,” Concluding Emollient murmured. “No. I thought…better of you.”
Reflection realized he was standing, just watching, just watching again. He started forward and even as he took a step, all his will and ability to move bled out of him.
“Ahhh…I will have to eliminate your acquaintance, of course. A shame, with a destiny as glorious as his will be, no? Perhaps I should do you a last favor? Claim him for my own just as you claimed him? If I do, I assure you that he will be treated well.”
“‘With mirrors for eyes, a broken man stands, the righteousness within hidden until it stands revealed.’” Concluding Emollient whispered, eyes closing in pain.
“He?” demanded the old man in surprise. “Are you certain?”
“Look upon him. His destiny is auspicious indeed and I allowed my own to join with his. I knew that my end would come and when it did, I would see the beginning of his destiny revealed.”
“After all these years…now they return?”
“Yes…look.”
And at that, Concluding Emollient pointed toward Reflection. And…
The Light came.
It began in his eyes, a searing warmth bursting free from his soul. And as it lit the interior of his being, it broke through the paralysis holding his body even as it burned away the shadows of his past that had paralyzed his mind.
The warmth seeped over his skin, pouring from his eyes like tears but moving fast enough that soon his entire body burned with the terrible majesty of the Sun. Yet he hardly noticed, for as the warmth spread, so did the terrible truths of his past stand revealed. And yet, in the Sun’s light, the years of bondage seemed trivial.
Slowly, the pain and agony of isolation eased even as the scars and wounds he had endured as the Perfect Mirror Demon and as Concluding Emollient’s protégé eased and faded away. He felt as strong as ever, but instead of the Demon’s mark left on his flesh, the Sun purged the lingering corruption and mantled him with His glory and regard.
And still the Light did not fade, even as Concluding Emollient faded…and was gone. Reflection could not see the weaves of destiny…but he knew his mentor’s had come to an end.
Because of this Sidereal.
For the first time, Reflection knew what righteousness was. He knew with absolute certainty that it would be righteous to strike this evil Sidereal down where he stood, crouched over the body of his former master. And for the first time, he had the Essence to do it for he felt deep within him the burning grace of the Sun, lending him all the strength he would ever need.
Essence ignited across his skin as he strengthened his body, toughened it, with a mere thought. Another thought, and the fluid grace of magic slipped through his bones and made the agile defense of the Perfect Mirror Demon his again.
The Sidereal shielded his eyes with his hand before the bonfire of light that radiated from Reflection. And Reflection struck. For the first time since childhood, he struck with the intention to destroy this vile thing.
Only the Sidereal was much, much better than he was. Reflection threw punch after punch, shot a kick at the Sidereal’s side, tried to throw the Sidereal a half dozen times, trip him with a well placed foot, even get close enough to grapple, and each time the Sidereal evaded him.
Even with defenses enhanced by Essence, Reflection couldn’t stop one of the blows that came in a counterattack. It blew him off his feet, though regaining his balance was simplicity itself now. The blow hurt, and yet he was stronger than he once was and stronger still with magic. He straightened and flexed his hands defiantly.
The Sidereal intoned sonorous syllables of Power. Reflection jumped across the room, kicked three times at the Sidereal, tried to sweep his feet and then kick him into the wall but each time the Sidereal evaded, all the while blazing symbols of Creation spiraled around the old man.
The spell completed and one of the Signs of the Maiden blossomed between them, slowly sinking downward. And as it descended, Reflection felt irresistible force pressing him back, away from the Sidereal. Even as he fell backwards, so did the Sidereal, until some distance parted them. He strove against the magic but it was too much for him.
“I recognize that heraldry. How destiny is realized never ceases to surprise even me in its timing. I would turn the tide of this world but at the opportune moment to do so, the Unconquered Sun reveals Himself again. Do you know the significance of the light surrounding you, boy?”
“Yes…I do,” Reflection answered, as the question instantly brought to mind dozens of books and old texts he had read. “I am Solar, one of the Unconquered Sun’s Exalts. The greatest of the Exaltations in all of Creation. I am of the same nature of what Concealed Heraldry once was.”
“Foolish boy,” the old man said, with a dry chuckle. “Your nature and his are the same! Cast your eyes upward and look! For the Anima the Unconquered Sun has granted you has not been since in 1500 years. The last man to bear the Icon of the Sun’s Splendorous Banner…was the Grand Inspector Concealed Heraldry of Righteous Incandescence. To think you have inherited the destiny of the same dead Solar that dominated you!”
“I’m…Concealed Heraldry?” Reflection asked in confusion. As he looked up, he saw burning in the light of the Sun a magnificent red banner bearing the Sun’s Seal unfurled and flapping furiously. And as he thought on the Sidereal’s words…he remembered…
..the burning of the capital! The fires of revolution shot upward into the sky, here and there across the city’s districts. Explosions and machines of war making more explosions rocked the city. And through it all, the Grand Inspector Concealed Heraldry of Righteous Incandescence gritted his teeth at the Status Revealing Runic Panels. One hour and 13 minutes from the time of the attack on the Solar Deliberative, and 241 Solar were already dead. Half! The Unconquered Sun’s greatest champions, the heroes of the Primordial War and in an hour, half of all that existed were undone!
This was an outrage. This was treason. This was the greatest sin ever to blemish Creation. And one Grand Inspector Concealed Heraldry could have stopped. Stopped, if not for Chosen of Endings Concluding Emollient!
Betrayed they all were. And yet if it was possible to reestablish order, Concealed Heraldry would see to it!
“Sergeant Mcklevio, see to the Third District. Take your men and try to contain that Thousand-Forged Dragon and keep it from drawing so much Essence that it collapses the Primary Ward Wall. Sergeant Hiviste, still no sign of any survivor of the Deliberative? No? Take your men and start putting down those riots! Stay away from any Solar you see. In this panic and chaos, they’re just as likely to attack you as those who actually mean them harm. Stop the Terrestrial who’re involved in this insurrection! The sooner we take the rebels down, the fewer casualties we will see. Use non-lethal force if possible but stop them!”
Concealed Heraldry gave more orders to his Sergeants. It was his duty to see that the Capital remain under control and he would do so. He was the Grand Inspector of the Isle, after all. “Sergeant Shalas, any word from the Inspector of the Night?” Concealed Heraldry’s only superior, the Inspector of the Night was the greatest Night Caste in all of Creation. She was the sole authority the Grand Inspectors of the 5 Elemental Regions reported to.
“Yes, Grand Inspector,” the Dragon-Blooded reported. She was pale and tense from the stress of the past hour. “The insurrection…is Creation-wide. Every major city has an uprising. The Grand Inspector of the East is already dead. The Inspector of the Night wishes you the Sun’s Blessing in securing the Isle, but she cannot aid us, as she seeks to hide away what Solar she can find. We’re…on our own, sir.”
“By the Sun, has the whole world gone MAD?” Concealed Heraldry shouted, the impossibility of their present situation defraying his otherwise calm control. “Get me Concluding Emollient! My liaison should have seen this coming! Where are the Sidereals? I want answers NOW!”
“And so you shall have them, my old friend,” said Concluding Emollient as he stepped out of the crowd. Next to him was another Sidereal Concluding Emollient did not recognize, though his Exalt Revealing Glance discerned that he was a Chosen of Serenity. How…unusual.
“So, the Sidereals have survived this…this…civil war so far,” Concealed Heraldry said in relief. “What happened to your plan, Concluding Emollient? I brought this information to you months ago, that the Terrestrial were preparing to revolt. You said you would take care of the matter. How in the name of the Sun, the Moon and all of the Maidens could the Bureaucracies have fouled up this badly?”
“Because there was no foul up, Grand Inspector,” the Sidereal said with a sigh. His companion’s resolve was firm though. “Because, Concealed Heraldry of Righteous Incandescence…all things have an ending.”
Concealed Heraldry stretched out Charm-enhanced senses, seeking the truth of the Siderael’s words, searching the social context, looking for signs of mind control and a dozen of other things all within a matter of seconds.
And that was when Concealed Heraldry recognized his doom and stared it in the face.
The Sidereal had been behind this insurrection. It was Creation-wide because Sidereal everywhere were leading the Terrestrial everywhere to overthrow and destroy their Solar rulers. Almost every Terrestrial in the Capital had been co-opted.
Including his own men. Their pale and stressed faces were not due to the horror of rebellion but because they were a part of it and knew they would betray their Lord. The Sidereal’s had bound their fates too tightly for even Concealed Heraldry to break. Not with this little time. And he would not be given enough time to succeed.
“Yes, you see,” Concluding Emollient said sadly. “This is how it is to end. This is…the end of this Realm and the beginning of a new one. So Prophecy has revealed to us. So it will come to be.”
“Then, my men will die trying to slay me. And the pair of you will wait until they have almost fallen, reserving yourselves for when I have weakened myself with battle. You will strike then and end my life. And so the Solar die. Pray for yourselves that the Sun rewards your treachery as He will pay to you in time. For His vengeance will be a small, pale thing…next to my own.”
“You make little sense to me, Grand Inspector,” spoke the Chosen of Serenity. “Even now, you could flee this very room. Your men could not stop you. We likely could, but there is some possibility that we would fail to do so. You are a Night Caste and excellent indeed in evasion. Why do you not run?”
“Because…I am the Grand Inspector of the Isle. The Capital is MY city to defend. I swore an Oath to the Sun, sealed by an Eclipse, that I would defend my station and do my duty until the last. I could survive this day…but I will not. If the Capital is to fall and the Age of the Solar is to die, then let me die with it, knowing that I fought to my very last breath to protect what is mine to protect.”
“So let it be,” bowed Concluding Emollient. “I am sorry that there was no other way than this path.” The Chosen of Serenity looked troubled at these words but Concealed Heraldry was past caring.
The Grand Inspector’s anima exploded across the room, stinging the eyes of his enemies, as his Stilettos of Perfect Vanquishment and his suit of Shadowmail materialized from Elsewhere. Charms spun through his body, one after another, until he was perfectly prepared for every evil work. Every work, but this one, for not even he could survive. Not, and do his duty.
“Not all things have an ending, Concluding Emollient,” he said, as the Terrestrial closed in. “Not all things…”
And Reflection brushed the tears from his eyes, at the rage he felt at his betrayal. Concealed Heraldry’s rage had been without limit but even this ancient memory could not have prepared him for what the dead Solar had chosen to do in death.
The Demon Ghost had used him without mercy, killed thousands of innocents without regret, and the rage it had possessed had led him to do all of this for the sole purpose of vengeance against his betrayer. And yet…Reflection WAS the Demon Ghost itself. He had read of the fall of the Solar. But now…now he KNEW.
And his mentor, the man who had liberated him, taught him what he knew, had given him a life and purpose…that mentor was responsible.
Concluding Emollient, who now lay dead upon the floor, eyes closed in final rest. His Anima could be reborn this very moment in some far distant person, but the Sidereal who had betrayed him…betrayed Concealed Heraldry had been murdered after all.
“Your eyes cannot be read but I see from your face that you remember much, don’t you, boy?” the old Sidereal asked. And Reflection realized that…it was the same Sidereal he had seen, 1500 years ago. The same that Concealed Heraldry had seen. “You should thank me then. You were betrayed by this man, led to destroy the life of an innocent boy and indulge in massacre because of him.”
“No…I…no, Concluding Emollient saw an Ending and did as he needed to, as he ever has while I served him. If the First Realm’s time was to end, than that is how it was and there is no changing that.”
“Which means you were always meant to become the monster that consumed you. It means that the Perfect Mirror Demon was always your destiny. It was Concealed Heraldry’s destiny to conquer your soul and it was your destiny to be conquered. And now you have become yourself the Demon that Concluding Emollient displaced. How…ironic.”
Reflection’s mind reeled as he tried to resolve the conflict. He hated the Demon Ghost that had forced him to be a prisoner in his own body for most of his life. And yet…he remembered things only the Demon Ghost would have known. He…knew himself to have been Concealed Heraldry long ago.
“Go, boy, to your destiny,” the elderly Sidereal said as he turned away. “The Unconquered Sun clearly has a plan for you. Go and fulfill the destiny you were always meant to follow. But before you spare a thought to your former master and to his assassin, think again on who he was…and who you are. And resolve for yourself if his death was murder…or punishment.”
The Sidereal left as he had come; without presence. He simply was no longer there, though Reflection knew he had been there…and yet, it was as if the Sidereal had never been here at all. Only his master lay upon the ground, smote with white fire. The mansion remained destroyed, even though Reflection’s mind was telling him that no assassin had been here at all.
Still, the white light of the sun radiated off his skin, fading now into deeper, darker colors. And he knew that he was not the man he had been. Already he felt the shackles of his old life fall away, as a sense of purpose radiated through him. He was meant to serve the Unconquered Sun. That was whose direction he was meant to follow.
Only…he did not know what he was meant to do.
Reflection stood for a while amidst the wreckage. Others began to come and he found he knew how to evade the sight of the casual observer through his newfound mastery of essence. And so he stood for a time longer, as people came and eventually left. Night fell, and it was in the thickest time of the dark that he felt…at peace.
He needed direction. And he did not know how to find it himself, for the Sun did not respond to his prayers. But the Unconquered Sun had chosen to return, Exalting him. Surely…he would not be the only one so Exalted.
There would be other Solar. Perhaps others who would know the path his destiny was to follow. He only needed a place to begin from. And such a question was difficult indeed, as always had he served the Chosen of Endings. Beginnings were not Concluding Emollient’s department.
And yet it was not so long before he knew of a place to begin from. His home…the town he was born in. So many years it had been, yet perhaps his family would still reside there. And so he had hope. And a beginning.
As was fitting. As Reflection stepped out from the mansion, he knew now that he was no longer the Fractured Reflection of Concealed Righteousness but someone new. Something from all of the names he had once held. Glory, for his birth name. Perfect, for his time as the Demon. Concealed and Reflection from the name Concluding Emollient had given him, for both suited him.
He was the Concealed Reflection of Perfect Glory now. Even as he began to walk toward home and his new life, he left behind the tattered shreds of the one he had lived.
And yet that was as it should be. There’s always an Ending.
