Trisanesti

Trisanesti
She held her breath as the door opened and he walked in, dressed in the Armor of the Shield. She leaned forward to watch him, feeling a bit silly for fawning but happy. Naos’ necklace only worked against direct sight.

He looked dangerous and powerful, in control and steel-eyed as he entered and took the podium on the floor of the Noble Council. The most impressive thing was that his hair was actually style and adorned. She wondered who had won the right to do the Shield’s hair.

Penelope smiled. He looked healthier than the last time she'd seen him in person, filled out, too. It was easy to see how he’d passed the five years.

"Lords and Regents, here and abroad, we have a lot to talk about."

Naos seethed, barely keeping himself upright, holding his shoulder stiffly though he likely didn’t even know where the injury came from. She hoped his chest hurt and his legs were unstable and his throat ached. 

She wished nothing but agony on him. Penelope hummed, flipping through the brief in front of her. Polymedes’ tablet had compiled all the annotations from the esquires and the leaders of the islands onto one document, completely settled into his new existence and grateful for her mercy.

"It should be Crown Prince.” A murmur went through the hall and Ardas slammed his gavel. “Most of you know that my real father, Mordas, was king before he was killed, and I was raised as Naos’ second son, but the truth is that he’s only king by being my guardian and this Council had dedicated a lot of time to keep me in that position. He’s not a blood descendant of the line.”

Her heart clenched as the room went quiet. He was remembering.

"Leandros --"

"I have no interest in the throne, neither does my actual elder brother, Diomeios, so let’s not bother with dramatics.” Stone rattled like the locking of a door. They all jumped. “The only reason you all are still breathing is because I have no desire to come back here and rule you people. You have killed any sense of mercy I may have.”

The hall went dead silent, and Ardas looked furious. His face flickered. 

"To that end, this is what is going to happen: you’re going to read the documents I’ve provided. You will enact them and every living person on the continent is going to swear the oath on threat of death.”

"Oh, Leandros," she gasped as the hall burst into cries of outrage.

“Kyros is very angry.”

He was learning everything from those future lives. His memories probably swirled around in his head the way hers did. Leandros opened his hand and the Harpe of Taravon appeared in his hand, burning dark. She gasped leaning forward as the shadows of the room darkened and loomed. Naos’ eyes bulged. And the sconces lit with vowfire. Even through the projection she could feel his power and fury.

Erebos had lost more ground than he’d thought, and she doubted he even realized how little left he had to lose. Her eyes burned with tears as the floor hardened and darkened to black stone. He stood in the middle of the room and pointed his sword at Naos as the Shield of Taravon appeared in his other hand. The rubies had lost some of their glow, but Leandros's eyes glowed bright red through the darkness.

“Would you like to be first?” He turned slowly aiming his sword at Ardas. “Or you?”

Penelope waited. It would be short lived, but glorious. 

“P-Prince Leandros, we understand that you have been away from us for several years, but—”

The man choked, bursting into a tall black flame. He screamed and thrashed resolving into a puddle of black water. 

The hall broke into chaos. 

She smiled, reaching up to fiddle with the necklace as the weight of it continued to lessen. When it broke between her fingers, she jumped to her feet and ran to the sound of him cutting through the Noble Council like paper.

She ran through the courtyard and through the gate, spriting up the stairs to the colosseum. In the distance, the black spear ripped through the sky and she slammed her hand onto the basin. Fire burst to life in the basin, project a glowing golden spear over the island. The sea within the Wall of Spears churned and she squealed, throwing her arms up as an island covered in blue stone began to rise out of the ocean. 

“Trisanesti!”



The shadows deepened in the corners of this dim dining room. The stench of rot and deep, dark water lingered in the air. He lifted his head. His blood hummed and fizzled. A ring appeared on his hand that hadn’t been there before. A weight settled on his chest, pulsing with a reminder, and he felt her across the distance. The crown on his head trembled as if it wanted to fall aaprt and give way to something else.

A name appeared in his mind, and he smiled. In the reflection of of the mirror across the dining hall, a thin black line cut through the sky. Another joined it, and another. 

He supposed, they would be the fourth.

"Ronald," Leandros said, his tone hollow and distant, seated at the table when the fury rising in him would rather be ripping through every person in this room. 

"Yeah?" He glanced down at the plated Leandros hadn’t touched. 

“What’s your real name?”

A moment of silence passed over the group as Ronald chewed with his mouth open like always. To his credit, he didn’t stop and his expression barely rippled.

"What are you talking about?"

Leandros tilted his head at the little tremor in his tone. 

"Honestly, you’re fucking crazy. Probably—”

“Ophel was a shifter… Kevyn was a shifter. I’d say that means it’s a pretty good chance that you are, too.”

The ring on his hand started to lose its glow. The pain in his chest started to fade. Something tugged at the back of his mind, and he looked at Ronald, then he rose to his feet and leaned forward, a thrill of triumph and excitement took over. Boots thundered down the hall.

“Dabria."

Her face rippled, and she pushed back. Before anyone could react, he grabbed the steak knife and slit her throat. She choked and jerked. Ophel’s mother shrieked, but choked a moment later as Penelope appeared in full armor. The marks of the elemental draw receded from her face.

The rings fell from his hands, and he breathed his first free breath when she wrapped her arms around him.

“It’s done?” Leandros asked, squeezing her tight. 

“For us? For now…and the next hundred years.”

He laughed I can think of a few things to do.” He grinned, conjuring a ball of fire. “How long do you think it will take to burn the Empire to ash?”

Penelope laughed. “Not long enough to enjoy it.”

“Let’s hope the others get more time to enjoy it.” He gestured ahead of him. “Shall we wife?”

She sent up a plume of blue fire and took his hand. “Let’s go, husband.”