COF 4: The Abject Throne

11 | Gathering (II)

They sat in a withered tavern for an hour now. Xanthy clicked her tongue against the cuts on her feet while Cirasa sipped from his glass at random intervals. She frowned at the smell wafting from the glass but clenched her jaw. It's not going to help anyone if she started whining now.

The cuts on her feet weren't deep enough but would still take days before she could walk on them without a spear of pain stabbing at her. A new pair of leather boots that were in Xanthy's size (finally) sat on the table along with Xanthy's satchel and the bag of versallis Eldan gave her. If not for those stupid sweepers, Xanthy wouldn't lose her beloved boots.

A muddy tunic joined the mess on their table as Xanthy finished dousing it with her own drink and using it to wipe the mud off her feet. The fairy behind the counter frowned at her as he polished a glass. Aside from him, nobody else gave Xanthy and Cirasa any attention other than a sideways glance.

Whatever this town was, it's quiet. There were hardly any chatters going around and if not for the wind shifting the leaves and the rustle of fabric, Xanthy would be having a tough time telling if there were people in this room.

"The Gathering" painted on a sign in both Ylanenla and Keijula script decorated the porch of the tavern. It seemed like it was the tavern's name.

Men with shoulders as broad as twice of Xanthy's lounged on the tables around them, slurping from wooden and clear, glass cups alike. They were dressed in an assortment of steel armor, dark tunics and trousers, and laced leather boots.

Their jewelries were rather odd—piercings from other places aside from the earlobes, bangles peppering arms in stupendous amounts, and black bands around necks that sported small bells like the paneldoja the priestess wore in their ankles in the Temple of Souls. One man with a bushy mustache smiled at Xanthy, a gold tooth gleaming along his yellowish ones.

"So what now?" Xanthy leaned closer to Cirasa.

Cirasa opened his mouth when a door from behind Xanthy creaked open. A girl dressed in a simple tunic with a vest laid atop it came up to their table, bowed, and said, "Welcome to Synketros. The Sovereign will see you now."

Xanthy shot up from the table. Before she could leap past the table, the burly men from the nearby table lunged and gripped Xanthy's arms. The girl approached Xanthy and bowed once more. She, along with all the people dining in the tavern, were unfazed. "The Sovereign wishes utmost compliance," the girl droned in a flat voice. What's wrong with her? Why were her eyes empty? "We will not hesitate to break your bones should you wish to make it harder."

"Fine," Xanthy glanced at Cirasa and shook her head at him when he raised his fist. She kept her face neutral and unreadable as she turned to the girl. "We comply."

"Then it so shall be," the girl waved her hand and a sack went into Xanthy's head (again). They were led forward, Xanthy's feet shooting sharp pain each step she took. Her boots! She left her boots on the table. Oh, that cost a fortune! She gritted her teeth.

Metal grated. Xanthy was pushed through. The air around her dropped several notches colder. Her stomach lurched when the floor gave way. They're going down. To where? Something groaned and clicked.

Then, Xanthy was ushered into a smooth and flat floor in a smooth flow. It seemed like these people were doing this for a long time now. The ton of turns that ensued reminded Xanthy of her time in Edgerift when the red coats were prodding her along the prison. The only difference was there, Xanthy believed she could change June's fate and now...she wasn't looking to change anyone's fate at all.

The Sovereign, huh? Was Akaron their hiding place the whole time? Where was the Sovereign when the Heiress attacked Peltra and almost conquered Edgerift? Why hadn't Synketros leaped up and protected the island from the obvious danger Cardovia posed?

Unless Synketros was part of it all along.

Xanthy pursed her lips. That's impossible. Elred claimed Synketros were good, that they would fight Cardovia whose only mission was to endanger the island. Maybe they're just gathering information and resources and were waiting for the right time to execute whatever grand plan they had. Maybe.

Why did the lighthouse bring Xanthy here? Was the next part of the hunt at the Sovereign's hands? If so, how come Synketros has a part in it? They didn't even exist during the Hundred Years' War.

Xanthy shook her head, chasing those thoughts away from her mind. The sack shifted in her head. What matters right now was that she'd probably gain an audience with the Sovereign. Xanthy would ask for her help in rehabilitating Peltra, Alkara, and Lanteglos, and maybe, just maybe, Xanthy could atone for all her mistakes the past months. Then, she could heal June and be gone. That's it.

The men escorting them made them stop and Xanthy heard them grunting. Something metal shrieked, then a boom, a sharp thud, and a soft creak. They're inside.

The men prodded them, the girl's footsteps light and quick ahead of them. Bright light slapped Xanthy's eyeballs as the sack was yanked out of her face. She winced at the sharp pain that stung her vision. To her left, a commanding voice spoke, "Welcome to the Gathering, Virtakios."