2. spiders and darkness

 
 

Gilcolm now looks exactly like Michael and puts on the Silver Nightfeather that signifies a relationship with the crown. He invites Michael to stay in the Keep for a while and tasks the Black Jester with taking Michael to his cell. John attempts to follow but is stopped by The Lord of Faces. He tells John and some of the other Sellswords to inform the men that things have changed and to prepare to leave the Keep. The Lord then retires from the dining hall. Before John leaves, he overhears the Lord talking with the Black Jester. They are apparently brothers, though he notes that The Lord talks down to the Jester. The last thing he hears is that the Black Jesters name is Donyel but prefers Donofrey.

John goes with the other two Sellswords and notices a drainage cavern that leads out of the main hall. Above the main hall is a large rusty chandelier that looks like it could have been beautiful long ago. John then slips away from the other two Sellswords and rushes out to find the Jester and Michael.

CELLS OF RUINED KEEP
John catches up to them right before the cells. Michael is placed in a large room without a floor except for a small outcropping on the far end. Inside the cell is a bridge that can be retracted and extended to the outcropping for prisoners. Michael is put into this cell on the far end and the Bridge is retracted. The guard stay outside of the cell. John then attempts to talk with the guard and states that he will watch the prisoner while the guard will tell the men to prepare to leave. The guard is unsure as he does not want to answer to the Black Jester who he calls Donofrey. John’s further attempts to persuade him make him suspicious and the guard asks John what the plan actually is. John gets fed up and just pulls out his sword and takes the Sellsword prisoner.

John has the guard open the door to release Michael. He extends the bridge across the chasm and the guard attacks him. They fall to the ground but Michael bashes the Sellsword in the head. The guard falls over the chasm but John grabs him. He asks for Michael's help who hesitates but helps pulls the guard up. John rummages through the guard's clothing as Michael begins to ask why he would save the guard but sees John pull out the key to Michael's cuffs. They take his uniform as well and two are now both in disguises, though Michael’s disguise is somewhat small for him. John then states that they should find Aletheia as John believes he knows what the Lord of Faces is planning. John then pulls out the blue dye and puts some on his palm. He attempts to do the same for Michael, explaining that it could identify him when they meet the Lord of Faces.

However, the guard wakes up and attacks John, making him drop the vial. In the ensuing struggle the ropes on the bridge are cut and it sways, causing the guard to fall over the edge. John and Michael avoid falling from the bridge and are able to make it safely out of the cell.

DRAWING ROOM
The two make their way to the Drawing Room and open the door to find Aletheia standing with what appears to be Michael. The Lord of Faces has deceived Aletheia into believing he is Michael. He then tells Aletheia to get behind him. The real Michael tells her to get away from the imposter and takes off his helmet to show his face. Aletheia is confused and the Lord of Faces immediately lies to Aletheia, stating that the Michael before her is her kidnapper. He is a shapeshifter called the Lord of Faces. Aletheia is doesn’t know what to believe until John takes off his helmet to show his face. He states that he has come to rescue her with Michael. The man next to her is the fake. Aletheia believes John but the Lord of Faces capitalizes on this, claiming that John was in on her kidnapping.

Michael yells that he is lying, but the Lord states that the two men are in the garb of the Sellswords, after all. Aletheia doesn’t believe this but is unable to move until John addresses her as Nadia. He tells her that he came to Selene on a whim realizes now that it must have been for a reason after all. He states that they don't truly know each other but he says that he came to rescue her so that he could. He then addresses her as Aletheia and reminds her that she knows that she can trust him.

Aletheia believes him and steps back from the imposter. Gilcolm then asks who John is before Michael engages him and yells for John to get Alethiea out of there. John grabs her hand and begins to leave until Sellswords come from down the hall. John and Aletheia climb out of an opening of the fortress and jump to a smaller causeway below. It crumbles beneath them and they fall into a lavishly decorated room. The Black Jester is there, surprised at their sudden intrusion. He is shirtless as he looks at a mirror, his mask is hung on the wall. John quickly grabs Aletheia and they run out through the doorway.

SPIDERS AND DARKNESS
They end up in the main hall and are stopped as a portcullis falls in front of the exit. Michael calls for John as he catches up to them. John questions if it is really him. A voice echoes across the room as another Michael yells to John warning him that the Michael in front of him is a fake. John is unsure but Aletheia knows that he is the true Michael. John asks if she is sure. She can prove it and tells Michael that they once talked about their fears. She asks them both what they are afraid of. Gilcolm is silent. The real Michael says, spiders. She then asks what she is afraid of. He then replies that she is afraid of the dark. Aletheia says that she is sorry she was confused earlier, she knows who the true Michael.

Gilcolm sighs and mocks them saying that their sentimentality is sweet but it means nothing. He walks to the throne and states that despite their truth not one of them knows each other. His raven flies over and sits on his shoulder as several Sellsword guards enter from the passageways. The Black Jester also enters the throne room and begins to approach the group. He only had time to put on his mask and hood and his bladed glove and he is still shirtless.

John attacks the Black Jester with his sword which hits the Jester's shoulder on the bare skin. John is shocked as the blade does not cut him though; it actually breaks the tip of the sword. Gilcolm then states that the Black Jester, is a Champion that has the power of invulnerability and nothing can harm him. The main trio step back as the Black Jester stands in front of them.

Gilcolm taunts the trio stating that no one can truly know another. It is why his original plan never involved the Lunar Guardian. He only needed Aletheia so he could return to Selene claiming that she escaped herself. He would have infiltrated Selene without lifting a sword. No one would have known. Michael claims that he would have known. John agrees and states that he knows who Aletheia is. Gilcolm interjects asking John who he is, asking if he even knows himself. John is silent. Aletheia  interjects and states that she knows who he is. He is her friend. She knows who her friends are and they know her.

He laughs that she would claim such a thing. She doesn’t know who the man to her left is and he wonders if she even knows who she is. He then asks Aletheia if she knows that she is not the true Princess of Selene.

The Ruined Keep

Aletheia is taken aback by this and she asks him what he means. Gilcolm then states:

“I find great power in knowing. Do you know how I found you? A whisper that started over 10 years ago. A whisper of you.

You see I delve in the collection of rumors and rumors are the precursors to truth. They are living things. And like all living things they start as a seed. They are planted and fed and if given time, they grow into truth. I have found that all rumors have a sliver of truth to them. That sliver is the seed.

I once heard that the princess of Selene walked the festival of the summer moon. When I heard it again the next year I knew it was true. She would hide herself and walk around at dusk. Did you know that some children would claim that they saw you simply because they hoped that they would. Did you know that?

Poor girl. It is a widely known rumor among your own people and you didn't know. I wonder what else eludes you.”

Michael reassures her that it isn't true. She is the princess. Aletheia isn’t sure and she tries to convince herself. She asks Gilcolm that if she isn’t the true Princess then how would she have received her Elven antlers. Aletheia proclaims that she is half elvish and received them from her mother who was a Faun.

Gilcolm just laughs at this and asks her if she is sure, asking if she even recalls what her mother looked like. She states that the statue above the square is proof of it. But Aletheia isn't sure herself anymore as she was only five when her mother died. Gilcolm then tells Donyel to bring the "naive Princess" to her. The Black Jester corrects him stating that he told him not to call him that. Gilcolm is irritated and scolds his brother. Donofrey then approaches the group.

John attacks the Black Jester again, however, this time the Jester grabs the blade in his hands and disarms John. He then grabs John and holds his knife to his throat. Gilcolm then applauds John and states that he expects nothing less from the foolish heroes. John taunts the Jester by asking why he needs Gilcolm if he is invulnerable, he can do as he pleases without consequence. Gilcolm ignores this and states that John's involvement was unexpected but tells the Jester to kill the hero if Aletheia doesn't comply and come back to him. If she complies he will let John go. John tells her that he won't stay true to his word.

Aletheia complies and the Black Jester attempts to reach for her. However, Aletheia tells the Lord of Faces that perhaps he is right, you can’t truly know another. He does not know her. She then uses her power of Seal and turns the Jester's forearm to Diamond. She is also a Champion, something only Michael knew of. Donofrey is overcome with pain and releases John Noble. The mercenaries draw their weapons but John then uses a sword to cut the rope to the large candelabras that fall in front of Gilcolm. The last one crashes through the floor of the ruins causing part of the floor to cave in as well as much of the support structure. It begins to give way to the entire structure and the whole keep begins to come down within the cave.

As part of the Keep collapses, Aletheia directs them toward a floodgate but the structure begins to fall toward the entrance to the tunnel. A large piece of debris falls toward them. Michael catches it before it hits them, proving without a doubt he is immensely strong. With the tunnel still open, Aletheia and John go through. Before Michael can go through himself, he is stabbed in the back by the Black Jester. The Jester reminds Michael that his great strength is nothing if he is still Human. The stone falls on the Jester and blocks the tunnel.

Michael lay in the tunnel as he bleeds from his chest. Aletheia and John are distraught as they comfort him. Michael apologizes to Aletheia, stating that he doesn’t think he can protect her anymore. He then tells John Noble that he believes that John would make for a fine High Champion. Despite having no powers, he is honorable and brave enough to inspire hope which is the real purpose behind High Champions. He tells them to look after each other as he dies. Michael's superhuman strength was something that did not make him invincible something that John Noble will always remember. He learns that all people including Champions, are still human despite their powers. Aletheia can barely stand but John states they have to go. He and Aletheia continue fleeing down the tunnel and escape through a waterway. They jump into the water and are washed out of the cavern and into the river outside.

The pair get out of the river and find the two horses waiting for them. As they ride off, Aletheia glimpses a raven and an arrow hits John in the shoulder causing him to fall from his horse. The Lord of Faces has caught up to them. He gets off his horse and attempts to strike at John Noble but Aletheia stabs the Lord of Faces in the chest before he can attack John. He falls over the cliff onto the rocks below.

Aletheia is in shock about everything and John attempts to console her. Before he can comfort her further, he touches her ungloved hand. Before Aletheia takes comfort in John’s and momentarily forgets her power. Before she can pull away, John falls to sleep. Aletheia takes a moment to assess her situation then composes herself. She is able to get herself and John onto the horse and they set off back to Selene. As they ride back toward Selene the raven watches from the trees above.