VIII. Ryder's Reason

The way to headquarters was a short one.

The government officials made it sure that Aegis was just near them so they could just summon them for convenience. Not that Aegis was complaining because it was what they vowed but the closer they are to the headquarters, the farther they are from the people--their number one client.

They passed through the rocky mountain trail that led to around the borders of Veynstown and not a minute passed that the van didn't shudder because of the bumpy road. After exiting the town, finally, they hit the smoothly paved road towards the headquarters.

It was the place where the politicians and the leaders from the different Companies met. They hold meetings on the first days of the week. Zed would also be there, in respect of his position and along with the fact that he was just brainwashed by Hearth, as well as the rest of the demanding government officials.

...unlike yours who protects the corrupt officials but can't even save a friend!

Ryder clenched his fists. First, it was Macy, his former manager's sister. Last night, it was Seyin, his friend. Now, it was Raeya? Why did it seem like everyone is having a hard time with him?

A roar of laughter came from the girls. They were laughing at Seyin's jokes. And as if by cruel chance, Raeya's laugh was the loudest.

Rhed was driving, leaving Ryder to Leison who, of course, wasn't talking much.

"Are you sure of what you said last night?" Leison's voice was soft.

A minute passed before Ryder nodded.

"Yeah. I think I'm not worthy of my position."

"Ryder, just because many died---"

"Consider it as my last order. If you still recognize me as the leader of Aegis, that is." Ryder's voice was firm.

Leison was the oldest---twenty-seven, and the only last original Aegis member. If Fhae was the First Lady, Leison was her great sidekick, just like the Quohora is to the Rigiddin.

Geez, related to Raeya again, Ryder thought. And Jin, too.

What happened earlier with Raeya, Ryder didn’t really mean it. He also didn’t know how he had tapped on the dark side of the Shore just because of his anger. That was a clear sign that his power was getting out of control because he hadn’t done any training since the last war. According to their code, that would mean he wasn’t cherishing his position already.

Good thing Ryder talked with Leison last night. If there was someone more qualified to be the leading face of Aegis, it would be him.

The van stopped.

"We're here," said Rhed as he killed the engine.

Ryder wheeled Leison out first. The headquarters loomed over them. Ryder thought that the walls were useless since the buildings inside were too high. It looked like an ancient fortress with all its black bricks and smoke-shaped carvings--the symbol of Hearth. The building was another proof of one of their good deeds.

Ryder and Leison approached the iron gate where a fist-sized ruby was studded. It shone and basked their faces in red light. When the light died down, the gate opened on its own.

A small road led to the entrance of the main building. They passed through the statues of a man and woman in a back-to-back defensive position like they were surrounded by enemies while a child was depicted as happily playing on their feet. The three are called The Triad---the symbol of Khenealm’s government, the highest company in all the land.

A familiar face was waiting for them at the building.

"Hey, there! Long time no see, people of Aegis." Ayden Chadron, their trusted man when it comes to the government, was jolly as ever. The man eagerly shook hands with them. Ryder felt the rough skin and saw the Scar of Shame on his right hand over the Triad. Ryder's sadness must have been too obvious because the man immediately spoke.

"It's not your fault, Ryder. I'm not blaming anyone. Besides, I still have this, right, brother?" The man smiled and showed his left hand where a tattoo of an open book was burned---a personal sigil. Ayden then turned to his brother. "Man, they got you really good. Behold, the great Leison Chadron wrapped up in silver linings. "

Leison just scoffed and muttered something about younger brothers being insolent and inconsiderate. Ayden just laughed and turned to them.

"I'll walk my brother around since the higher-ups want to talk with you without your manager first. Also, I want to show him a lot of things that have changed here ever since the last war. " He winked at Leison who wasn't paying attention to his brother speaking. "Proceed to the main hall. They're waiting. Be sure to greet those whom you should."

Ayden then took Ryder's place and with one last tap on the shoulder, he wheeled his brother towards the opposite direction. Leison was mumbling for him to slow down a bit but Ayden loved teasing him. If brothers could be opposite in attitude, they were the best example, though their physical features are very much alike. Both had grey eyes, both wore glasses and both were muscular but their personalities were polar opposites. One was like the sunshine while the other was stormy.

Ryder and his group took the elevator. The seven of them didn't fit so they let the girls first.

"I hope they have a good reason why they are leaving Leison out," said Rhed.

"Yeah. If not, at least good news," Ryder replied.

But the serious faces of the officials that greeted them told them that something bad was up.

They were all gathered at a long table. Thick stacks of papers with red stamps were in front of each of them. Emergency reports. A lot of them.

"Please sit with us, Ryder Radstille. The others, you can sit there." The head of Khenealm's government pointed to a row of chairs on the sides. When everyone was settled, his attention returned to Ryder. 

"First of all, we would like to congratulate you on successfully protecting the priests during the purification ceremony. We expected that at least one or two conjurers would show up but as we had heard, only shadows were seen. Meaning, they were not in the area." The others just nodded their heads. Ryder saw Zed at the far end, reading a book.

"I apologize, Sir Vance. They didn't take the bait. We didn't think that the priests were not enough to catch attention."

Someone suddenly slapped the table.

"Hah. Just as I told you. Didn't I warn you that the conjurers have their own system? They're not idiots to suddenly show up in broad daylight even if they know that the priests are out. They know that Aegis is everywhere." Ryder forgot the official's name. All he knows is that he is the head of one of the minor companies. 

You're wrong, Ryder wanted to tell him. We can't be everywhere anymore thanks to the last war greatly reducing their numbers. They couldn't even cover a small desert.

"But sir, there were bombs. They were waiting for us outside but nothing happened inside. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think we're the ones whom they're trying to eliminate first, not the priests," Ryder pointed out.

"Boy, you seem to know something to think that your group has more worth than the priests."

 Ryder's face flushed.

 "No! That's not what I---"

 "Enough, both of you. I won't have you insulting the holy servants of the Shore any longer. Let's drop what happened yesterday in the desert. We have a lot more to discuss. Just remember to tighten the security of the priests especially now that we know that the conjurers' objective is to take control of the Shore."

 Ryder calmed himself. He breathed in and out before skimming the reports. Mostly, they were about shadow sightings. Guards patrolling on the mountains saw them. Then, a group of teenagers on a field trip saw tracks at the foot of the mountains. The closest was near Veynstown three days ago. But there were no attacks, until yesterday.

But one different report caught his eye. The stamp was yellow, not red.

"Sir Vance, this report... You all know this?" Ryder lifted up the paper.

"Oh that. About how a lot of people are seeing the ghost of the First Lady of Aegis?"

He met his friends' eyes. Aura leaned forward while Nique and Raeya whispered to each other with troubled looks.

"Ghost? That's what you told them?" Ryder asked.

"Well, what else can it be? Also, it's the easier term that the people could believe. Why? Do you believe that Fhae is alive? I'll have you remember that I buried her myself."

Ryder felt the pain in his words. Ryder remembered that Sir Vance and Fhae were sigil partners in the past. Their contract was broken when Fhae founded Aegis. Both of them were in the government so Fhae had to renounce her affiliation in the Triad. Sir Vance couldn't be with her since he was already the head of the government. 

That's why you have to understand if he's a little bit harsh on you, Fhae once said.

"I remember, sir. Let's proceed to the others, then."

The fat official earlier was smirking while shaking his head. Tsk tsk tsk, he seemed to say.

"Chief Raius Rigiddin has sent us intel," Sir Vance started. Ryder saw Raeya twitch at the name of her brother. "He has discovered the reason why the conjurers are so obsessed with controlling the Shore. He says that the conjurers believe that the Shadows need saving."

All ears inclined to him.

"We recently discovered that long, long ago, Hearth was just a company of scientists who made the mistake of creating Shadows. So in order to atone for their sins, they created a city where they could train warriors to fight the shadows. They also created the concept of our Companies and many other things that were beneficial to us. They had kept this secret for almost many centuries, until a year ago."

Ryder could recall them perfectly. A team of historians had retrieved a diary of the founder of Hearth. It was all stated there---how Hearth was supposedly creating animals that could help the farmers on their fields but instead, the Shadows were born. The radio and newspapers had broken the news.

From that time on, not a day has passed by that the people weren't rallying to dismantle Hearth. Who would not be angry? A lot of lives were lost thanks to the Shadows, just like his and Raeya's parents. 

And Hearth did the practical thing–fight. They brainwashed Absinthe and the government sent Aegis . It was chaos. It was a war.

They shouldn’t have declared war. Hearth could just have let the Triad investigate them. Hearth should just have cooperated and then both sides might have not suffered. If only that was what happened.

"And ever since, the conjurers, we call them that instead of scientists, have been trying to find someplace where they could transport the Shadows. And all they could find is the Shore, the controller of everything. Time, especially. They plan to lock the shadows in the past. But they couldn't because the priests wouldn't let them in since the Shore would be contaminated. And if the Shore is contaminated, the planet will be, too."

There were murmurings. Now this was news.

"Is that possible? By the way, where did Chief Raius get this---this delicate intel?" asked a woman who was probably in her forties, the oldest among them here.

"He knows this because he once used the Shore for the retribution of one of his followers." His ears pricked at the last phrase. He looked at Raeya who had stopped moving. Ryder knew only one person who the Chief used the Shore for retribution. And that person was not his follower, but his very own sister.

"Those Hearthlings have lost their minds. Use the Shore, the core of the planet? For what? For a mistake that can never be corrected?" Another official shouted from the opposite side. "If they really care about the people, why can't they just destroy all of them? No." He shook his head. "I don't believe that they are trying to save them because they have been creating them to plague our lands. They're trying for world denomination with the Shore as their power."

The room was now out of order. Many were talking with each other very loudly. Sir Vance kept on shouting at them to keep quiet but no one was listening.

Until Zed spoke.

"What if they are?"

A lot raised their eyebrows. Sir Vance looked at him.

"What if there is a reason why they refuse to kill the shadows? What if the Shore is the only way for the conjurers to get rid of all of them?"

“So are you telling us that we should let Hearth have its way? Have you fools forgotten that if anything happened to the Shore, our planet will be affected?” Sir Vance gave Zed a sharp look.

Zed lifted his hands off his book. “I didn’t say that. I just said with Hearth’s knowledge, they might know a thing of two about how to do it. I believe we also haven’t forgotten that they possess the memory of the ancients.”

The room was silent for a while. After a few seconds, Ryder was the one who spoke.

"I have a suggestion. We all know that the Shore is tied to our planet, especially to us, the people who share in its power. We also all know that it is sending some signs to help us out, just as it did in times past." Ryder paused for a while. "We are all here in a dangerous situation. And why is that? We are unsure what our enemy is up to. That's why we are not really united. That's why we can't move because we're so confused on which is which."

"So what are you proposing, Mr. Radstille?" Zed asked.

"The ghost sightings..." Ryder heard Sir Vance mutter 'Oh please, not again.' Ryder ignored him.

"Fhae is dead. Why then, are a lot of people claiming to have seen her? Same features. Same statements. She is looking for me. Don't you think that the Shore is speaking to us?"

The silence that followed showed that no one had considered it. It was vague. But with the given situation, everyone was finding something that they could believe and this is what Ryder believes.

“Are you trying to make a joke, boy?” Sir Vance was losing his patience with him. “What did you eat for breakfast this morning that made you reach that conclusion?”

Ryder was unmoved. “Laugh at me all you want. But I am pretty sure, Sir Vance, that you yourself want to organize a team that will investigate these sightings of Fhae.”

Ryder hit his weakness. He knew that Fhae and Sir Vance go way back. Because of what he just said, Sir Vance could only grit his teeth. “You brat…”

"I'll tell it straight to the point,” Ryder said as he stood.  “I will follow the sightings. I will get answers. I will find her."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Raeya wiping her eyes furiously.