The Continuation of a Line

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden finally relented to the voice that kept speaking into his mind. He knew only bits and pieces of the information presented. However, it certainly made him wonder to whom would know that breadth of information. As he could not sense the presence, he simply allowed his thoughts to exist in his mind, just outside his normal mental defenses. Who is this?

Entering the main corridor, Brayden was pleased to find that both the Raven and Captain arrived very quickly. Bright eyes took their time to regard each individually before he spoke. The decision to simply seal the room, Brayden felt, was better than attempting to relocate the vials. It was a temporary measure at any rate. Final decision on what to do would only be made jointly with his sister...or in the event someone from his family met the requirements for and subsequently ascended to the throne of Endelaan.

"Captain. I will not waste your time. You..." Slowly, Brayden turned his head to regard the Leader of the Ravens. "...and you will position a rotating guard on this door for the suite of rooms within on a permanent basis until I instruct otherwise in the absence of further direction from the King or Queen. No one is to enter for any reason. If a disturbance is detected, I am to be notified immediately. Regardless of my location."

------

The Captain of the King's Own had arrived dressed in black and silver robes. They were colors the King had never much sported, but he knew only that they had once marked the House of Centurion in another time and place. His service within the King's Own had been...long, but he was not ancient. Like most warriors, he had risen to his post through strength, victory, and intelligence. Word of the returned Prince had already swept most of Endelaan by now. Indeed many of his own kin had assembled outside the Forbidden Temple, taking defensive positions that had been reduced over the centuries due to the lack of residence of the King or Queen. It was as if a breath of fresh air was steadily beginning to waft across the surface of the planet.

"Of course, My Prince. It will be done. Might I propose, however, that you take a number of my men with you. In the event you...are required off world." It was no longer such a fantastic concept. Most had heard tell of the royal family that had the ability to fly from Endelaan at whim. "You may take the very same men with you for your protection."

Now that the life-status of the Prince had been confirmed, the Captain could not very well allow the King's only known son to come to harm. They could not lose another.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

The leader of the Ravens nodded as the orders were given. She would begin with sending actual Ravens, she thought. After that, the Sorceresses that were trained for such. She could not deny that her curiosity had been piqued and that she wished to know why they would be guarding a room that had stood empty for centuries, but it would be done without question nonetheless.

As the Captain of the King's own mentioned the Prince should take a guard with him, the woman looked at the prince, eyes narrowing. He had not needed a guard in all the years he had been alive, so why begin now? Still, she made no comment to that either other than ask a single question as her dark eyes held his gaze.

"What of the Princess?" she asked him, "the Circle of Seers pinned down the moment she returned. It has been eight months and she still has not returned home. We know that the Ancient One was with her for a while, but what of you? Is she well? When can we expect her back?"

[member="Brayden Antares"]

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden arched a curious brow at the Captain as he considered the man's words. He felt that particular addition...unnecessary, but he would relent for the time being. "Very well, Captain. I should clarify my earlier statements, however. In my absence...contacting me, for the time being, will not be very possible." As it stood, Endelaan was presently cut off from the holonet. It was one of the contributing factors to Endelaan's secrecy.

"The Ancient One can intervene if necessary in that instance." Slowly, the Prince shifted his gaze to the Leader of the Ravens, eyes betraying nothing of his emotions over the topic of his sister. "She will return to Endelaan when she feels she is ready. My sister has many objectives and tasks yet to tend to in the greater galaxy, unfortunately. That said, I assure you she is well."

Satisfied the conversations were done, Brayden offered them a final nod before stepping away from them. Assuming Verberri would accompany him, Brayden waited until they were out of earshot of the others before making a brief statement. "I need to attend to another meeting. I do not know how long I will be able to remain on Endelaan, but I should like to meet again prior to my departure."

------

As the Prince departed, the Captain offered a polite half-bow. Once the Prince was gone, the Captain established the first post while he waited for one of his subordinates to arrive.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Eve was standing quietly in a clearing not too far behind the Forbidden Temple. She had been at the banquet held for the return of the Prince, or at least its start. Every word spoken between the Prince and the Ancient One had been heard by her, but not only by her; there were others there in the hall, and all ears were very sharp, not to mention the amount of people she could outright taste using the Force to hear better. It was almost like a zoo in there, though she doubted either the Prince or the Ancient One knew just how much.

She had excused herself shortly after sending the Prince the first message, though she had not separated herself from him. Invisible, she had been there as he and the Ancient One had walked into a room that was much less a secret and much less forgotten than the Ancient One had so firmly believed.

Twenty missing vials. She had thought there were less; but she also knew that even she did not know everything. With the return of the Prince, he would have to be informed. Eve would have informed his parents if they were the ones to be there, would have probably worked to ensure they knew much sooner than how it played out with the Prince, but an hour of a difference made… Well, almost no difference.

I await you behind the Forbidden Temple, my Prince, she sent him, join me and we will walk. There are many parts in the forests behind the Temple where we will be safe from prying eyes and ears, if you will trust me enough.

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden's feet had carried him outside into the massive courtyard of the Forbidden Temple just as he felt the, now familiar, presence brush against his mind once more. Stopping next to Arash, Brayden placed a single hand against one of the creatures massive front legs. The bright red dragon released a puff of warm air in response, an action the creature considered to be largely a comfort.

Go, young Prince. I will maintain vigilance in the event something begins to feel...off.

Brayden offered the creature a simple nod of his head before he turned to proceed around the Forbidden Temple to the back. The walk was not quick as the structure was quite large, but it was not a long journey either. Eventually, the large, tanned Sith Lord rounded the corner. His bright gaze found an admittedly alluring female figure standing on her own. As he approached, Brayden could plainly tell she was the one that had been reaching out to him. However, he certainly had not recognized her from among the throng of individuals in the banquet hall.

As he drew within earshot of the woman, the Prince made a simple statement. "Come. Let's hear what it is you feel need be said." Instinctively, Brayden began angling in the direction of the forest.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

The prince was quick to get to the point. Eve nodded, and the two began to walk towards the forests. She remained quiet at first, allowing a minute or few to pass before she began to speak, wishing to be further away from the temple. The forest of Endelaan were lush and green, but above all, they provided privacy that was sorely needed, especially when discussing such… sensitive matters.

"You know now that there are missing vials," she said, her voice rich and deep, not matching her youthful appearance in any way, "though I admit that there are more missing than I initially thought. Not all were taken by the same person, or even the same group."

Endelaan had developed vastly while the Royal Family had been gone. Eve herself was fairy young, and she had not done any of those weird and strange things that permitted some people to live through the centuries. But there was plenty that she knew, courtesy of many of her observations as well as some of her gifts as well as training.

"The vials were discovered some forty years ago," she continued as the two resumed to walk deeper into the woods, "if anyone knew of them between their creations and then, I know not of it. But the Endelaan of today is not the Endelaan that your parents knew. With the increase in population, came an increase in number of different opinions. There have been groups that sought to move forward from having a royal family at all, groups that have sought to destroy our temples, and groups that sought to stop the wait for the return of your parents. And there were more than one of each of those groups. The political state of Endelaan is… Complex, and until the King and Queen return or others take their place, will continue to become even more so."

Eve sighed.

"These differences in political views have not passed over those who work or reside within the Forbidden Temple. The former leader of the Council of Seers herself tried to steer towards using the vials. Their existence is far from secret, even if it is not truly common knowledge.

I have heard rumors that the use of the vials was stopped… When they produced a child that could not control the Force."

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden waited expectantly for the woman to speak as they traversed deeper and deeper into the lush forest. Given his supreme comfort among nature, Brayden was not in much of a hurry, busying himself studying the fauna and flora that he could see and sense around them. When the woman's soft voice reached his ears, the Prince did not immediately react, keeping his gaze and attention focused elsewhere.

As Eve launched into the meat of her explanation, the tanned Sith turned his entire body to regard the woman. Folding his arms over his chest, he allowed his eyes to study everything about the woman. From her eyes right down to the curve of her hips, he could plainly tell that she was a beauty. In fact, in the short time he had been visiting the Forbidden Temple, he'd come to realize that most people on Endelaan were mostly attractive. For a moment, he wondered what the implications would be if they went on as they had...with very little diversity to the population for the purpose of reproduction. There were...ways around this of course, and Brayden had some amount of a plan for the future.

In fact...it would only serve to strengthen the connection Endelaan had previously shared with its sister planet of Malagarr. A single eyebrow arched when the woman mentioned one of the vials producing a child not gifted with the Force. That was decidedly unusual for his family. "I see. Naturally, your claims of former dissidence will have to be verified. I don't suspect it would be a difficult affair. I am curious though...how this managed to transpire at all. Even if the Ancient One was largely absent from Endelaan, there are countless others charged with safeguarding the ways of Endelaan. For these vials to have been...so distributed, there would undoubtedly had to have been involvement from very senior officials."

Brayden paused for only a moment. "What is your name, and how is it you know so much?"

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

"I am Eve, daughter of Myriam, daughter of Shbah, of Moab," she answered his before-last question first. There was no reason to hide who she was; even if she had tried, it was not hard to discover the names of those who were part of any Council on Endelaan. "I sit on the Council of Seers," she added, "but that is not how or why I know what I do. I have my suspicions that a few on the Council know some, but there are many that know nothing and less."

Pausing a moment, Eve crouched down to a knee, picking up a feral Rose Goblin with ease, her hands expertly petting its branches. She removed a small flower from her hair and fed it to the goblin before blowing warm air between its eyes. The goblin purred like a fat kitten and she smiled as she released it.

"Even among those who knew of the vials, there is no agreement," she continued her tale, "my mother believed that using them was a way to ensure the ways of Endelaan. Others believed they ought to be used to change the ways of Endelaan and make it better. I even heard of one who thought that bringing forth more children of Diomedes and Nessarose would make them return at last. As you can quite easily see, that theory has been debunked quite harshly."

Walking by a tree, Eve pulled on a low hanging branch. The leafs that come of it were narrow and long, and heavy. She put the end of one in her mouth, sucking the lemony juices out of it. They were good, with a touch of tang that she enjoyed. Another leaf was pulled and she offered it to the Prince.

"My mother is dead," Eve said, "I know what I know because she told me. She was involved with the first known attempt to bring forth a child from the vials. The child was a son, born with the glow of the eyes and an appetite that would dry a wet nurse in an hour. He was named Samson, and given no last name. My mother said they could never understand why such a strong and healthy little baby boy died so terribly within the first year of his existence. His health after a few months declined rapidly and nothing the best of our medical wards could do could help him. He died of starvation after nothing would digest. For a while, my mother suspected that there was foul play, that someone had done something to him to make it happen. But she never found proof, and neither did the others who were involved.

There is no point in questioning the others who were involved; they are all dead as well. On her deathbed, my mother told me that she was certain it was one of the sects working actively against the ways of Endelaan. One that was good at remaining cloaked in the shadows. She told me to never reveal that I knew anything to anyone, unless the King or Queen returned. I suppose she had not considered the odds that the Prince or Princess would return. All the rest of what I know are glimpses; rumors, deductions, and assumptions.

It would have been hard to keep Samson a secret had he grown. None on Endelaan have the glow of the eyes that is a family trait of the Royal Family, and his burned brightly, both in silver and green. But how many of your family developed the eyes only later in life? How many could be walking among Endelaan or out of it without us knowing? As discovered today… Up to nineteen, assuming all the missing vials successfully became human beings."

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden remained silent while Eve responded to his inquiries. The fact that she was a sitting member of the Council of Seers certainly helped to shed a little light on how she came upon this information. Even if her position was not the reason for her access to information, it certainly would help to, at least, know someone within the Circle. For a moment, he found his mind wandering, wondering what the reaction would be when Scherezade did return to Endelaan. Unless Madalena had managed to acquire a completely different set of force skills, Brayden believed that Scherezade was a warrior as he. Though in truth, as they would certainly not be bonding themselves to one another in that manner, it really should not have mattered in the slightest.

Though his face betrayed no emotion, Brayden certainly felt his irritation returning. In fact, he had to silently communicate to Arash that everything was fine. Even if it is not. "I do not know the answer to your question, unfortunately. I've only recently resumed a public life among the galaxy. I assure you gaining a better understanding of the quality of my family members is one of my current priorities." Brayden paused for a moment, choosing not to add that they would need them in potential short order. "I do know that neither my sister nor I were born with the trait."

For several more moments, Brayden was silent as he considered the various implications. "I imagine, to some degree, that were any presently on Endelaan with this trait, it would be noted. It would...cause attention, would it not? Therefore if you've heard of no others, my suspicions are that the other potential nineteen are either already away from Endelaan or have not yet met the necessary prerequisite to display the trait. Which begs the question how did they get off Endelaan." A largely rhetorical question for the moment, however. "The child born without access to the Force. You know this...individual? A name? Or do you know whom carried the child?"

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

"I do not," Eve answered with honesty, "I enjoy being alive and have no wish of death in the foreseeable future. It does not take a genius to figure out that the knowledge can put one's life in danger. My mother is dead, as are the rest of those who were involved with Samson's creation. All the attempts I have made were very discreet, to ensure that no word of my knowing anything about it ever got out. As you can imagine, this also means that the rate at which I have gleaned additional information has been incredibly slow. Without knowing whether your parents or you would return to Endelaan in my lifetime, I thought had enough years to operate to uncover the truth."

The woman sighed. It had been two years since her mother died, and she did not need to be told that she had done very little progress in that amount of time. Her reasons as well as her excuses were plenty; yet the will to remain alive stood above all. Had she chosen correctly? Should she have done more to uncover what she could at the expense of her own life, and out of hope that one of the Royal Family members would return in time to offer her protection? Somehow, she doubted that protection was what she would be offered. Especially when there was more to do.

"Endelaan has not remained as completely secluded as it once was," she explained, "sometimes, the old ships are still used. Our mechanics have kept them in pristine condition. Usually, to survey the areas of the galaxy around us, ensuring we are safe. And I assume that at least one of them was used to remove at least some of the children off-planet. But what their wage was when it happened, I do not know. To be certain that it happened, I cannot be either."

Turning to look at the only officially known Prince of Endelaan by birth to the King and Queen, Eve offered an apologetic look. What more could she offer at present? "I am sorry that Endelaan is not the utopic heaven you may have been told it was."

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden nodded his head when Eve concluded her comments. "It's more a memory, a feeling. Memories provided almost exclusively by my mother during my...internment." Brayden trailed off at the last little bit, not really wanting to get into specifics regarding the Darkness. "You have given me a great deal to consider, Eve. I thank you sincerely for your time and your intuition to approach me."

Exhaling softly, the Prince considered one more concept. "One last thing. The Ancient One. She was completely unaware of any of this? I must confess it does not instill a great deal of confidence that she failed so glaringly to maintain some level of control or at least awareness in the absence of my parents. You mentioned the one that would replace her is worse?"

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Eve nodded. So the Prince was not angry with her; that was good. Not all people could keep their wits about them when presented with such information. Lesser men would have lashed out at her for being the messenger, held her responsible for not having more to offer. She did not know this Prince, nor had she known his parents. Telling him anything had been a risk on her part.

"It is not the Ancient One's job to maintain control," she explained, "the role is mostly ceremonial. Her failure was in her role as a Raven, but she cannot fully be blamed for this. She was in stasis and we believed her to be with your mother, where she belonged. And still, all was quiet by the time she returned. We were relieved when she left to find your sister, for it gave her something to do. She is restless, and I believe it is because your mother is not around, and she does not see her role as the Ancient One as one worth having.

The role of the Ancient One goes to the oldest woman on Endelaan. The one that comes after Verberri, at present, is a woman by the name of Debrah. She has been resting much these past few years but I remember hearing her speeches as a child. She wished for Endelaan to break through its secrecy, to cease waiting for the Royal Family to return. She spent some time imprisoned after trying to steal a ship that could take her off-planet. While the role of the Ancient One is mostly ceremonial… It gives sway over the masses. Sway that I wish Verberri would learn how to seize. She is not a bad woman... But unless she learns, her time will soon be up, and she will be useless on the occasion that your mother does return."

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden nodded in silence. For several moments, he remained as such, content to merely watch Eve. Several thoughts drifted through his mind, some even relating to the conversation taking place. Though his face mostly did not betray the content of his thoughts, there was the occasional flicker of mischief and manipulation.

Eventually, the young Prince spoke once more. "We are fast approaching the time when ceremonial positions are all but a waste of effort."

Another pause.

"Yet, there remains cause and purpose behind maintaining the link to Endelaan's past. We can ill-afford to have another situation where the King and Queen are missing and there is no central authority responsible for decision-making. Nor can we vest full authority in, say, the Circle of Seers." Exhaling heavily, Brayden shook his head slightly. "It is a risk no matter what. I have to ask of you a favor, Eve. Are you willing to be my eyes and ears? A mechanism of staying informed of that which transpires on Endelaan in my absence?"

It was just as bold a request as it was a statement in general. Brayden was not the King of Endelaan, but he could only acknowledge that the vacuum of power had to be sealed at least in some regard. He could establish no law, appoint no official positions, but he could place his trust in a select few. To a slightly lesser extent, he can direct the Captain of the King's Own and the Leader of the Ravens so long as it was in the interest of the throne. Regardless of the notoriety he enjoyed by being the son of the King and Queen, Brayden would have to prove himself regardless.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

"There is a central authority," Eve gently corrected him, "Four Warriors, four Sorceresses, and the Ancient One, though her part of it is mostly to be a tie breaker." That was how things had been mostly ruled in the absence of the royal family. "I cannot tell you whether they need to be disbanded, or their people simply replaced. But that is how decisions of rulership were made these past seven hundred years."

To explain what all those different groups were was a… Hard task. The Circle of Seers was not a ruling council, they were a council onto themselves, though they served the ruling government in more ways than one. They were also not the only ones to do so, openly or otherwise.

"Please understand. Doing something, doing nothing… Everything is a risk right now. Endelaan is at the cusp of change, and not a single Seer, on the council or otherwise, can tell you what the outcome will be. The future is shrouded in unknowing right now, and the next decade or two will change the course of Endelaan forever."

And to his offer, there was but one thing Eve could do. She smiled, and nodded. "I shall be your eyes and ears, Brayden, son of Diomedes, Warrior King of Endelaan, son of Cameron. I cannot promise how effective I will be. But anything that I see or hear, I shall relay to you. May I touch your temples? A few moments is all I need to take your Force presence in to a degree that I will be able to reach you in your dreams, lacking the technological means to do so."

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden laughed softly to himself. Yes, he did recall the collection of warriors and sorceresses destined to rule in the absence of the King and Queen. However, he did not exactly regard a committee of eight individuals as much a central authority. Similarly, the Ancient One acting as any form of tie breaker was obviously nigh on useless. She'd been absent far too often for it to have served any real purpose. "A system that clearly need be re-evaluated at some point in the future, at any rate."

Eve did not need to tell Brayden that Endelaan was at the cusp of change. From what he'd seen and heard today, it certainly stood on the precipice. It seemed the return of he and his family members was almost well-timed. The Prince could only hope there would not be an abundance of squabbling and posturing for power, but it was clear that the King and Queen needed to replaced in earnest. However, laws existed, laws that Brayden could not change from his current station. Though truth be told, he wasn't sure he would change them if he could. The dichotomy of the Sorceress and the Warrior had merit, and it was not that concept that failed Endelaan. It was, instead, a planet too long bereft of leadership that had brought it to its current point. Endelaan would need to discover itself again...and soon if it hoped to survive in this new galaxy.

Once Eve had consented to being his eyes and ears, the Prince nodded his head slightly. "You may do as you need." Stepping forward, the young Prince lowered his head to make her efforts all the easier.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

The woman nodded and stepped forward, closing the final distance between the prince and herself. Her fingers reached up to touch the temples – the only point of physical contact between the two. Her own eyes closed as she concentrated, searching for the link she required in order to be able to reach the Prince in his dreams.

What she found… Was not what she had expected. She had imagined him to be clean, to be pure, untouched by the presence of others, or at least only a little bit. Instead she found the presence of many, like millions of fingerprints covering him. Or perhaps, she had found nothing, but her mind interpreted it as it had. Eve shook her head, forcing herself to concentrate, to gently move the fingerprints away until she found the core; a beating and pulsing glow of green with specs of silver, the mark of many of the males of the Royal Family, or so she had read.

A few minutes later way, Eve pulled her arms back and took a step backwards.

"You will soon be rejoining the rest of the galaxy," the woman said. No surprise there; he had said he would but moments earlier, "try to meet and interact with more people than you have thus, Prince of Endelaan. Seclusion will slowly kill you. The days in which you were able to remain alone for a long time has passed. Consider this a small glimpse from a Seer."

 

[Brayden Antares]

When Eve had finished working her magic, Brayden raised his head once more. Allowing his gaze to settle over the woman's frame, Brayden could not help but arch a curious brow. "I have enough to occupy my days and nights without worrying about making new acquaintances, Eve." For a moment, Brayden fell silent as he called out for Arash. The unmistakable sound of a distant roar easily reached where the two Endelaan natives presently stood. Similarly, Brayden could feel the presence of his friend and partner drawing near. The massive dragon would not be able to land in the forest without causing serious damage to the foliage, but he would not have to.

"I will keep your words in mind though I doubt I'll find anyone truly capable of holding my interest for very long." Naturally, Brayden had no idea how incredibly wrong he was. "Be well, Eve, daughter of Myriam, daughter of Shbah, of Moab. Until our presences merge again." A subtle nod came from the young Prince before he jumped high into the air. Utilizing the Force to help levitate his position, he was eventually snagged by one of Arash's massive maws as a flash of orange and red darted across the Endelaan sky. In a matter of minutes, Brayden had scrambled up to the creature's back, directing it to make one more low pass over the Forbidden Temple before arcing out and away towards Phindar.

The route, however, was not direct, and the large beast and the young Prince visited all of Endelaan's major towns before returning to whence they came.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]