The Island With No Parallel

Mercy

“Uncle, we’ve found something that troubles me,” Renen said, marching into his uncle’s throne room with unsurety.

Lord Stretton had noticed this trait of his nephew on more than one occasion. It was a weakness that he felt he could overcome with time, but things were now moving so progressively, he wondered if his nephew still had time. Especially after what happened with the General of Fear. He stroked his chin. He couldn’t tolerate his nephew’s anxiousness to action. It could get one of them killed if it continued like this. It was time he taught Renen a lesson.

“What troubles you, nephew?” asked Lord Stretton coolly.

“We have been using Nexa to watch the Chosen ones she found, as you instructed. So far, they haven’t found Luca or Shi’ran, but they’re close to finding Luca, it looks like, and you know they are already with Kailu. And they’ve killed one of the assassins that you requested for the movements in Spain.”

“I see. And what about this troubles you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Lord Stretton said, standing, his tall form dominating his nephew’s. “What’s there to be troubled for? These are mere children trying to involve themselves in a war thinking it’s a game. The bigger picture is the fact that the Aracs have never been so many on Earth before. And we’re close to meeting the new terms of the Dark General of Fear.”

“We are?”

Lord Stretton nodded. “Don’t think these things slip past my notice, Renen. I know that the maid and her little troop are advancing towards the Italian pirate. Let her. They’ll be stranded alone with a pirate in the Mediterranean sea. Do you know Luca Valentini’s reputation? He may kill them before we do.”

“Oh,” Renen said, starting to calm down. “Then... we do nothing?”

Lord Stretton turned on his nephew and looked out the window, gazing as the flags waving in the wind, fluttering over Ecencia. His Ecencia. An idea dawned on him. “You know, nephew, perhaps you’re right. We shall do something about the maid and her band of misfits. And you’re going to manage the summoning yourself.”

“Me? On my own?”

“With guidance, of course. You are still a beginner, after all.”

“But I can do it by myself now, I should think,” Renen said indignantly.

Renen didn’t see how his uncle’s eyes steeled. Just another trait to be weeded out, he thought. “Not for this Dark One, pupil,” Lord Stretton said cooly. “This one is a Dark One that requires much experience to summon correctly. Its another assassin, to be precise. But I’m going to teach you an important lesson that will aid you when there is need to summon a Dark One more powerful than you can handle.”

“Very well,” said Renen disgruntledly.

Lord Stretton ignored Renen’s regrettable tone of voice. “Come. We will begin at once.”

He led his nephew to the entrance of the dungeon, where two Aracs flanked the door.

“Come with us,” He instructed one of them.

The Arac soldier followed without question. Renen looked at Lord Stretton questioningly, but he knew better than to ask why Lord Stretton asked for the accompaniment. They went down into the dungeon, where they found the usual site they did their summonings, in an empty cell. They lit torches, and started a fire in the middle of the floor. Lord Stretton said, “Knight, get the book of Dark Ones so I may consult it to find the one we’re looking for.”

The Arac went his way to find the book without a word.

Once the knight was away, Renen asked, “Why did you request he come with us?”