Chapter 20 - Truth of the Matter

"Your brother was never very good at being tactful," Calan explained as he led Tabitha and Allendrie down the dark hall single file. "The entire takeover was just too messy. The lack of any credible witnesses to the assassin's attacks. The fact that they never found an actual assassin despite the overly-excessive search. Not killing you was his biggest mistake, though. Without your corpse his story was poked and prodded by the noble houses, and I think all of us but House Dalta figured out that Selphrin's ascendancy to the throne was a sham."

"That was why the noble houses were disbanded and its members were killed. If the eleven of us who weren't loyal to Selphrin had gathered our forces and loyal commoners, we could have staged a takeover and placed one of the Lords on the throne."

"Unfortunately, your brother beat us to the punch and killed almost everyone of noble blood." They approached a heavy wooden door, which Calan produced the key to. "With the addition of Childe Fangora, we know of six people of noble blood who escaped death. Six out of fifty-seven."

"I know of you, your wife, and Toriban. Who are the other three?" Allendrie asked as Calan fumbled with the lock.

They heard the lock click open and Calan instructed the two servants that had been following close behind to wait at the door. He pushed the door open, revealing another small hallway. "Patrick Delta’s brother Robert is still alive, and is working for the enemy. Delta’s son Vykk is alive and is here in the compound. The other is Cogan Amalith, who is living comfortably working a farm near Freemont."

"Cogan Amalith isn't technically a noble, though," Allendrie pointed out.

"Yes," Tabitha said from behind them, "but despite the fact that House Amalith was disbanded after the death of Marie Fangora, Selphrin went out of his way to kill all surviving members except Cogan."

"An oversight, perhaps?" Allendrie looked back and forth between his hosts as he waited for his answer.

"Most likely," Calan said. "If Selphrin made a point of being thorough, then we wouldn't be talking to you right now." When they entered the Coryn's private chambers Calan offered Allendrie a seat. "Now, then. Down to business."

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"Where are we going?" Zara asked as Toriban dragged her along by the arm. When he ignored her, she frowned and asked, "Why did you leave me behind? Where did you go?"

"I'll explain everything when we get there," Toriban said, scanning the halls for the right room.

They tried two doors before they reached the one where Vykk greeted them. "Ah, this must be your 'friend,' eh Toriban?" He put a certain emphasis on the word that Toriban didn't like.

"That had better be the whisky talking, Vykk. I'm old enough to be her father."

"You don't look it. You look like you're in your twenties."

"I'm thirty-six, Vykk. You should know that, I'm three years older than you."

"Anyway, you're sure you trust her Toriban?"

Toriban looked toward Zara, and she smiled when he said, "With my life."

Vykk walked to a small cabinet and retrieved a bottle and three cups. "So, who is she, anyway? She's obviously not from around here."

Toriban leaned over and whispered to Zara. "You should speak for yourself. You shouldn't let people talk over you like that, it’s an insult."

She looked thoughtful for just an instant before she nodded and said, "I am a priestess from the Sudin Temple near Osaka. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Toriban stopped her in the middle of her formal bow by muttering, "Untalan custom," under his breath so that she could barely hear. She brought herself back to standing position and offered her hand to Vykk.

He had an amused smile as he took her hand, seeing that Toriban had coached her throughout the introduction, though he hadn't actually heard the exchange. "A pleasure to meet you as well."

Noticing Vykk's smile, Toriban felt it was safe to say," See, we'll make you into a social person yet." Zara smiled and shuffled her feet uncomfortably.

Vykk returned to pouring drinks. "If she's a priestess, does that mean she can't have any of this?" he asked Toriban, holding a cup towards Zara. He brought his attention to her. "Sorry, I don't know much about your religion."

"Not many people from this part of the world do." She sniffed at the drink, and then looked to Toriban as if for approval.

Toriban shrugged as he accepted his drink. "Shouldn't be any worse than rice wine, though I don't know if offering liquor to someone so young is a good thing." He wasn't too worried, since if she did get a little tipsy she could always use her ki to balance her chi, purifying her body of toxins.

Vykk took a slight sip of his drink and motioned with his left hand for her to sit down. "I would really love to learn about the Shinto faith. We all know so very little about your practices on this continent, and what we think we know is probably little more than fairy tales. "You see," he said as he took a chair of his own, "theology has always intrigued me. Religion just seems to have this, I don't know... mystic quality about it. The way that it draws people with such differences together and unites them under one cause: living a good life."

Toriban scoffed. "The only way the churches keep their victims in line is by fear. Fear of an impossible being that helps and aids no one, yet receives praise whenever mankind achieves the unlikely or improbable." He could see the pain in Zara's eyes as she looked toward him, and he quickly turned away from her with a scowl.

Vykk raised an eyebrow. "Ever the skeptic, aren't you Toriban? I do admit that you are right in the fact that the churches do use the fear of God to keep the followers at bay, but it is necessary to have fear as order even in a non-theocratic society, isn't it?"

"There are a hundred reasons for the impossibility of a God," Toriban replied, still averting his gaze from Zara.

"And just as many reason's that prove He exists." There was an air of finality in Vykk's voice, an indication that the conversation should end.

Toriban opened his mouth to continue speaking his mind, but he was interrupted by Zara. "I will teach you all there is to know about the Shinto belief system, but wasn't there a reason for us coming here? I think we should take care of that first."

Vykk looked at her a moment, then, after taking a long drink, he said, "The reason I'm here... is because the Coryns are a sham." Toriban almost choked on his drink at this. Vykk gave Toriban a chance to recover before he continued. "The Coryns are indeed planning to overthrow Selphrin, but not in the name of justice, or for their as of yet unfound Prince. Calan and Tabitha want the throne, and I'm here to stop them."