The Third Eye Initiative (36 page)

“
Hey there, boy.” Rat Face said. “No hard feelings, yes? I kept an eye on things, would have intervened had Pyron gone for the kill. Sorry about all that. I served the wrong guy back then.”

Tsaeris put his bombs back inside his coat. He clenched his fists together tightly, his rage threatening to take over. He felt betrayed. His life was never his own, he was a puppet. He had lost his eye, lost the girl he loved, and it was all because of Gravelock.

“I have wronged you, Tsaeris.” Dormic said. “I was misguided, and was under the thumb of a monster. I want to make amends for that. That’s why I had Elias and Tyrier drugged. I did not want to take your family away from you. You have lost enough to the machinations of Gravelock. I am your ally. Together we can stop him. Take over the Initiative. Make it better, make it a true vessel of change. Gravelock wanted you because he sensed a power in you. An ability that transcends training. It’s innate, and a part of you. You will sit at my side, second only to me. Your Father and Uncle will be welcome within the new order as well.”

Tsaeris knew Dormic was right. Gravelock had taken so much from him. Dormic honestly seemed to believe in what he was doing, and had suffered loss himself. Punished and given over to die for simply doing as he was ordered.

“You belong with us, Tsaeris. You’re willing to do what needs to be done. You don’t have a line, like the others. You see the goal, and are willing to see it done. You’re not afraid to get your hands dirty. I know what you’re thinking. How does this make us better than Gravelock? The difference is that we will always know what’s at stake, what the end game is. There will be no shadow agenda, no loyal brother sent to die. Yes, the ends justify the means. But we deserve to always know what those ends are.”

“
What about Aedrus?” Tsaeris asked,

“
I’m sorry, Tsaeris. The novices must be culled. The brutality of their deaths will hurt the morale of the Initiative, and when we take over we need to start fresh. No novices under the old training. They can’t be set free, and they can’t be indoctrinated. They are too far gone for that. I spare Elias and Tyrier only as a gesture of goodwill to you, and in sympathy of all you have lost already. I can make no more exceptions.

“
I understand,” Tsaeris replied, and he did. It made sense. For this to work, the Elites would have to start the Initiative over again. With new values and new training.

“
I told you, this will be dirty work, and we can have no lines that we fear to cross. Our work will be bloody, but in the end the Initiative will be restored and we will be an order of good. We will stop the corruption, and make The City a better place. But first we must remove this infection. Gravelock’s infection.”

“
You don’t need to convince me anymore, Dormic. You’re right. Gravelock is an infection. He’s infected my life enough already, it seems. You said I would have a high ranking position?”

“
Second only to myself. And more money than you will ever spend.”

“
Then I’m in,” Tsaeris said.

“
Welcome, brother.” Dormic said, and he embraced Tsaeris. “You’re old novice must be put down, Tsaeris. Do it quick, so as not to cause the boy pain.” Dormic said softly.

Tsaeris nodded. He removed the short sword from his back, and approached Aedrus. He stared into his novice’s eyes, which were filled with betrayal, hurt, and fear. Tsaeris sighed.

“It’s the only way, Ginger. I’m sorry,” Tsaeris said. “Close your eyes, boy.” Aedrus stared at him defiantly then, the fear replaced with anger, his eyes accusing. Tsaeris gave his novice one last impressed smile.

He raised the short sword with his right hand. Aedrus continued to stare, waiting for the blade to fall. Tsaeris nodded to Aedrus,
and then tossed a glass vial, that was concealed in his left hand, to the floor. A large cloud of smoke poured from the shattered glass and sticky residue on the floor, engulfing Tsaeris and Aedrus.

“
What are you doing?” Dormic shouted, coughing.

“
You were wrong about one thing, Dormic,” Tsaeris called from the cloud of smoke. “And you’re not the first to make this mistake. Hell, I wasn’t even sure myself until just now. The truth, Dormic, is that I do have a line.”

Tsaeris emerged from the smoke, Aedrus at his side. Aedrus was holding Tsaeris’ short sword in his right hand.

“I don’t kill kids.” Tsaeris said.

Tsaeris tossed two small explosives into the shadows behind Dormic. They exploded almost immediately, sending
Rat Face and two other men broken and bleeding to the floor. Flames began to crawl up the wall.

“
Why?” Dormic asked, facing Tsaeris. His voice was hurt, and full of regret. “After all that Gravelock has done to you, you are still his puppet. We could have made The City better, Tsaeris.”

“
I can’t forgive Gravelock for what he did, Dormic. He dealt us both some shitty cards. But I think I hate what you’ve done just a little bit more. I will not build a better city on the corpses of children, Dormic. And I won’t allow you to do it either.”

“
I’m so sorry, Tsaeris. But if that is you’re stance, then you must be killed.” Dormic said. Men flooded the room, seeming to come out of nowhere. They surrounded Tsaeris and Aedrus in a circle, swords in hand.

Tsaeris stared at Dormic, the turned
and kicked Aedrus’ feet out from beneath him. He reached into his coat with both hands, and removed two more small round metal balls. He tossed them into the circle of men. The firebombs went off, and within a second most of the men were falling, wreathed in flames. Three of the men managed to avoid the blasts, rolling quickly away.

“
Fools! How many times do I have to tell you,” Dormic yelled. “He is not a swordsman. Beware his tricks!” Dormic faced Tsaeris. “You have harmed yourself and The City this night, Tsaeris. We elites are few, and you have either injured or killed most of my men. You think you’re doing good, but you are the villain here.”

“
I’ll hold them back, “Aedrus called. “You get Dormic!” Aedrus rushed in and attacked the three Elites still standing. Fire continued to crawl up the walls and ceiling, and the room was quickly filling with smoke.

Tsaeris took a step towards Dormic, who drew his long sword. Tsaeris reached for his belt and produced a long thin dagger.

Tsaeris could hear Aedrus fighting the Elites, and from the sounds of it, he was holding his own. Aedrus was a talented swordsman, even better when he was mad. Tsaeris always found that strange. Most men’s skill suffered when they were angry. Still, Aedrus was playing a holding action and would not last long.

“
Is this what it comes down to?” Dormic asked. “A duel? Both of us fighting in the name of our ideals? So be it. I beat your mentor once. You really think you can win?” Dormic gave Tsaeris a menacing grin, clearly confident in his superiority.

Tsaeris shrugged, then reached quickly into a pouch at his belt, and tossed a handful of powder into Dormic
’s eyes. Dormic jumped back, desperately trying to regain his vision. Tsaeris, with one quick leap towards the man, slashed him on the cheek with his dagger, and then dodged under a blind swipe of Dormic’s long sword.

Dormic swung his sword with one hand, and wiped at his eyes with the other. Despite his impaired vision, Dormic’s sword cut quickly through the air, and Tsaeris could not find an opening. It didn’t take long for Dormic to clear his vision, and he snarled at Tsaeris.

Dormic advanced, and stabbed out with his sword, aiming for Tsaeris’ heart. Tsaeris, wielding only a dagger, could not chance a parry, and had to rely on his agility to dodge the blade. Tsaeris narrowly avoided a slash to his chest, and retreated to the wall behind him, the flames licking at his back. He glanced quickly to his left, to see Aedrus being pushed back as well. When he returned his gaze to Dormic, the quick and skilled swordsman had already closed the distance.

Dormic stabbed out at Tsaeris
again, and Tsaeris side stepped to his right, causing Dormic’s sword to connect with the wall. Dormic quickly recovered, and slashed out at Tsaeris again, this time connecting with his ribs. Tsaeris cried out in pain, and spun away from the sword, feeling warm blood oozing from the wound. Tsaeris backed up, trying to keep his distance from the dangerous man. Tsaeris clutched at his side. Between the beating Tsaeris had endured at the hands of the large Turindiel, and now the cut to his ribs, he knew he didn’t have much left to give.

“Wait,” Tsaeris said, trying to buy some time. He knew that the fight was over, and Dormic could finish him easily at this point.

“I have said all I will. You’ve had your chance. Now you face the consequences.” Dormic said, and, now within striking distance, raised his sword.

The killing blow missed. Dormic was slowing, and Tsaeris, despite his wounds, managed to lean away from the slash aimed for his head. Tsaeris smiled. “There’s something wrong. You’re sweating, Dormic.”

“What? I’m...” Dormic began, his face going white. He attempted another sloppy slash at Tsaeris, who easily dodged aside.

“Feeling queasy? Nauseous?” Tsaeris asked
, his tone mocking.

“No…” Dormic said, despair in his voice. “Why?”

“I don’t much care for duels,” Tsaeris replied.

“
What is this?” Dormic said, reaching up and touching the small cut on his cheek. He fell to his knees, and began to vomit, his face ashen. “Poison?”

“
Yeah. And quite a bit stronger than the one you faked your death with. Remember? ‘He doesn’t use swords, beware his tricks’? Next time follow your own advice.” Dormic gave him a look of wide eyed disbelief. Tsaeris shrugged almost apologetically, and then kicked Dormic hard in the face. Dormic fell to his back, writhing on the ground.

Tsaeris turned to face the remaining Elites. Aedrus was bleeding from several wounds, but was still standing, and had even managed to kill one of the men. The remaining Elites, upon seeing their master defeated, had thrown down their weapons. Aedrus looked at Tsaeris and Tsaeris shook his head. Aedrus nodded, and with two quick slashes of his sword, cut both men’s throats. Tsaeris stared down at Dormic, who had now gone still. Not willing to take any chances, Tsaeris crouched down, his wound burning painfully, and pushed his dagger into Dormic’s throat.

“
Let’s get out of here.” Tsaeris said.

Aedrus and Tsaeris made their way to the window, which had yet to be consumed by flame, and climbed down the wall of the mansion to the ground below.
It was a slow and painful climb for both.

When they reached the yard, Tsaeris threw several more fire bombs thro
ugh the windows.

“
What are you doing?” Aedrus asked.

“
Making sure this place burns down for good this time,” Tsaeris replied. When the building was finally consumed in flames beyond the hope of recovery, Tsaeris turned and walked towards the gate, Aedrus at his side, and the storm still raging around them.

“
I really thought you were going to kill me back there,” Aedrus remarked.

“
You have a long time left as Novice, Ginger. I may yet.” Tsaeris replied.

As the two men left the yard, the Purity Union mansion began to collapse in upon itself,
its history of death and violence reduced to cinders. Dormic was gone forever, his plan to overthrow the legendary Gravelock buried in the ashes of his mansion.

For better or for worse.

The line between good and evil has been debated since the Light first gave man his life. I can tell you, with utmost certainty, that there is no line, as good and evil themselves are simple illusions. Those in charge decree what’s good, and anything that challenges those decrees are evil. Truly, the definition of good and evil has changed more times than the day has changed to night.

There is no good or evil, only corruption and purity. The City is the bastion of corruption, and it corrupts all who live here. There are non
e immune to its touch. Not the merchant prince peddling his wares, nor the mother cooing softly at her baby. They may tell themselves otherwise, but they would be wrong.

What makes us different is
that we accept that we are corrupted. We embrace it, we use it to fuel our hatred of that very same corruption. We eat it, we sleep it, and we live it. We become lovers with corruption, so that we can know it without fail, and can manipulate it without effort.

Dormic’s end was tragic. He retained a level of altruism, and was wronged terribly in his life. He believed himself the shining star for The Third Eye Initiative. He believed that Gravelock, corrupt and terrible, would lead
The City
to ruin. I believe he truly wanted to make a difference, and thought he could make The City
a better place.

Would that have made him a better leader than Gravelock? No, I don’t think so. Dormic thought himself incorruptible. Gravelock has no such illusions. He is the embodiment of corruption, birthed from the corruption itself. The City and
its people created Gravelock, and he is terrible. Yet his intimate relationship with corruption allows him a certain degree of power over it, and he used that power to control it when possible, or destroy it when not.

What he did to Dormic and Tsaeris was cruel, but can anyone deny
its necessity when viewed with hindsight? The Purity Union, a scourge of hatred fueled bigots who happily murdered those who were different, was ended. As of this writing, it has not returned.

Would Tsaeris have been bettered served with both eyes, but never becoming an agent with The Third Eye Initiative? No, of course not. He would have ended up dead in a ditch before reaching manhood. And everything he had done for
The City
during his life as an agent would have never come to pass.

Woe to us all, were that the case.

--
Excerpt from “The Sydarin Chronicles” by James Sydarin.