Chapter 41: Lies

Chapter 41: Lies They crossed into the Grey Keep’s monolithic halls. Climbing staircases with handrails that rose too high and steps too wide and long. The crowd of workers that usually swarmed the Keep’s lower halls parted as they passed. Warren’s presence was like the repelling force of a magnet. The resounding echoes of their voices still assaulted his ears, unfortunately. As they rose to the higher floors, Lucen missed the noise a little. Gone were the roars of crowds and the sharp, distinct smells of Castaway Valley. The Grey Keep air was still, quiet, and cold. Like the walls were holding their breath. The only sounds following their assent were the sharp clicks of boots against stone and the slight ruffle of clothes. They made their way up many long stairs, through the black and velvet hallways, and past the great meeting chambers with their glittering chandeliers. Lucen clenched his jaw. He was starting to feel the nervousness that Selene had felt for him. The silent march he, Warren, Set, and the other students made had gone on forever. After climbing the last set of stairs, leading to the highest floor of the keep, they reached a hallway guarded by three giant knights and two normal-sized ones. The giant knights were, as usual, cloaked in their red armour and horned helmets. The two human Knights, however, wore the same black, stone-like armour that Warren did and had no helmets. Their gazes were unbothered and relaxed, but Lucen immediately felt the shift in the air. Grand Knights. They weren’t Lightcloaks, and Lucen had never seen them down in the castle. They all bowed and saluted the two men, even Warren. "Sir Fyodor, Sir Kant," Warren addressed, "There was a problem in the Valley; we came to report it." One of the knights didn’t even acknowledge them, slouching against the wall, his face cloaked in the corner’s darkness. The other smiled, stepping forward to address them. "We already had little Ymir alert us," said Kant. "Halbair, inform Lord Chester that Warren seeks his audience." "Just send them in," a voice said. Its low hum flowed through the stone and their bones into their ears. Kant and the three giant knights stepped aside. Kant sighed, "Lord Chester no longer cares for propriety." As they passed by the intimidating guards, Lucen caught Fyodor’s intense gaze piercing him from the shadows. The man was short and thin. His brown hair was a lion’s mane, braided into something manageable. Lucen looked down quickly. Before, he would have thought Chester having such powerful guards was strange, but now he understood that Chester most likely held the Grey Keep’s Crown of Stars. He controlled their portion of the Line, and he probably came back early at the Patriarch’s behest. Koril had probably held it before, but Lucen had a feeling he wasn’t as trustworthy, at least these days. Chester’s door was strangely normal-sized, too, and Warren pushed it open with ease. The room inside was enormous and decorated with black and gold items: beautiful carpets and curtains, a black desk with a gold trim, black chairs with golden ones mixed around, and many ornaments and trinkets, some embedded with diamonds. If Lucen had half the loyalty that Chester seemed to have to this family, he’d get on his knees and lick Set’s boots. Was all of this really necessary? Inside the room, scattered between the couches and around high glass windows, were members of the direct line. Black hair and golden eyes with faces that ranged from similar to vastly different. Uncles who had nephews older than them and brothers from vastly different mothers. Lucen lined up with his classmates behind Warren, and then they all bowed to the people present and saluted them. There were many Knights here right now. Sandor, Duran, and Heimar were also seated. They were closer to the middle, as they were Alger’s children. Ymir sat beside her father, beaming at them. Chester lounged at the long desk. Behind him, a lengthy stained glass window cast a myriad of colours—green, yellow, and others—over him. His black hair was short and combed to the right, his handsome face shone with amusement. "You’ve had a very busy training session, I see." Warren nodded. Lucen explained the Crunchers’ infiltration into Castaway and the accounts from the soldiers on what they heard Korgath screaming as he fought Lucen. One of the older Lightcloaks frowned. "A Void creature that can speak?" "Then its level must be close to that of a Dark Clan member," another concluded. "Are they involved with the sudden change in the Bull wolves’ behaviour?" "How powerful was this Korgath?" Sandor questioned excitedly. "I’d say far stronger than a Knight apprentice and a little stronger than a low-tier Knight," Warren speculated, "but not quite at the level of a mid-tier Knight." Many frowned, speaking among themselves noisily. Chester sat forward, and they all quieted down as he spoke. "But Lucen was able to defeat this beast?" They all turned to Lucen, and a slight shudder passed through him, but his eyes stayed steady. Warren looked back at him, prompting him to explain himself. "I got lucky," he said calmly. "It underestimated me and paid dearly." "Crunchers lose strength as they are cut apart," Duran said suddenly, glaring at him. "Warren said you took off all of its limbs. Does that mean it was as strong as a Mid-tier Knight when you fought it? You, a Squire? a Half-blood." The venom in his voice as he sneered the word, halfblood, made the other Lightcloaks snicker among themselves. Heimar’s head had been low this whole time, but Lucen saw his fist tighten. "That is true. He was barely a match for Set a few weeks ago," said Sandor. "Now he can defeat a knight?" Chester’s golden eyes stayed fixed on Lucen the whole time. His smile was unsettling. "Tell us. How could you defeat a Knight?" The wave of authority washed over him, reaching down into his soul and demanding truth and obedience. Chester’s authority grasped his soul but slipped, unable to get a grip. Since he was a baby, commands held no power over him; even Alger Lightcloak couldn’t force him to do anything. He suspected it was the Devourer system, but he felt it might be his soul and will. If he wanted to obey an order, it was binding. But if he didn’t want to do something, he wouldn’t do it. "Because I am stronger than an average Knight," Lucen answered simply, trying to sound arrogant to deceive them into thinking those were his true feelings. "I received a soul-bound weapon from Warren and a Minor-rank enhancement spell from Koril. I am far more skilled and more powerful than when I fought Set." The room fell silent. They all stared at him with varying levels of shock and rage. Chester’s pleasant laugh filled the silence. "Is that why you accepted the request from Jon’s imposter," asked Chester, "and took command of Castaway’s garrison, because you were powerful enough?" Lucen frowned a bit, his answer delayed. Jon had been Chester’s friend, according to him. Killed alongside his last surviving family, his younger brother. Was that all Chester had to say about his dead friend? "Yes," Lucen replied tightly. Warren interrupted before the elders could start shouting at Lucen. "Lord Chester, the boy also fought another powerful opponent, a human working with the Crunchers named Peter Cross." Lucen’s gaze was fixed on Chester. His face twitched slightly, something dulled the golden light of his eyes. The rest of the room had much to say about this despite Chester’s silence. "From the Cross family?" one of them said. "He was one of the two executed for heresy." "Yes. The Veiled King spared the Cross family despite all the wise counsel he had," Duran muttered. "That man and his wife were executed a long time ago. The foolish boy lies." Chester rose from his seat. They all clamped their mouths shut and watched carefully as he strode across the room to Lucen. As his little smile and tall figure grew closer, a tangible force blasted over Lucen, nearly throwing him to the ground. The Grey Keep’s Crown of Star bloomed over Chester in a burst of silver light. Its design was more hookish and simple compared to Aya’s. "Are you lying?" Chester asked simply, looming over Lucen.