Tyrant, Haunts

Jacklyn takes a breath. His eyes snap open. He is in the abandoned castle, lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling.

His hand wrenches up to touch his nose, although he did not command it to do so. It's as though he's a marionette, controlled on puppeteer's strings. His limbs completely ignore any attempt he makes to defy this force. From a short distance away, he hears a young voice say under its breath, “good."

The force relents and Jacklyn regains control of his body. He sits up, and finds the speaker standing several meters away, watching him warily – an albino boy who cannot be any older than twelve, whose fingers comb the feathered ruff of his overcoat, his appearance strikingly resemblant of Aquila.

This is how Jacklyn meets Phoenix Fidelis Valens Asphodel, former tyrant of the Kingdom of Asphodel, undying Archon, and Aquila's younger brother. For all Jacklyn knew of his reputation, he hadn't known he was a child.

Jayden is conscious too. But before they can properly get their bearings, Phoenix interrogates them as to what they're doing in his house and demands they return everything they stole. The impelling force returns, and neither of them can stop themselves from briefly expositing the circumstances that brought them here. They also explain that they haven't stolen anything. Phoenix still seems sceptical of their innocence, even though they are incapable of lying to him while under the influence of what they realise is Phoenix's power of mind control.

Phoenix is insane. That much is obvious.

Jacklyn is terrified and Jayden recognizes it. She gets between him and Phoenix, hand on her knife, but neglects to draw it. Hesitation is uncharacteristic of her. Phoenix must be preventing her from taking further action. But Jacklyn notices how Phoenix still retreats a couple steps from this absolute non-threat, and realises that the fearsome Archwitch Valens is most likely scared shitless.

Jacklyn suddenly feels stupid for being intimidated by a twelve year old. He forces the anxiety out of his voice and apologizes for busting in on Phoenix's house. They've gotten off on the wrong foot, but they're just as confused about this situation as Phoenix. I'm Jacklyn Whitewood, and this is my sister Jayden. Etc etc, when Phoenix interrupts them: Whitewoods? You're none that I know of.

Mason Whitewood's kids. We're pretty obscure.

Phoenix looks shaken, then surprised. But he soon smirks. My condolences for being born to such irredeemable scum.

The twins share a quiet grin.

They've found their common ground, and it's that they all think Jacklyn's father is garbage.

The three of them bond over dissing Mason Whitewood.

Jacklyn runs out of meanness steam rather quickly, but Jayden has enough gripes for both of them. She and Phoenix enjoy healthy rapport, and Jacklyn's weak efforts to defend their father only give them more material to roast.

At his urging, the twins give Phoenix a more detailed account of their circumstances and the fire. Phoenix insults Aquila for mismanaging his affairs so egregiously. It bodes ill for the nation that its leader cannot even protect his pet cronies from terrorists.

Terrorists, because the official word is that the fire was an arson conducted by cultists to none other than Phoenix. Immolation is their MO, and such attacks are not unprecedented. But they were supposed to have died down years ago. Aquila has become complacent, Phoenix concludes.

They question why Phoenix isn't happier about his goons sabotaging Aquila. Phoenix asserts no connection to the cult or their actions. They have adopted him as their icon for their own purposes. It better pleases Phoenix that legitimate royalty preside over the masses instead of some uppity zealot. Fair enough, Jacklyn thinks.

But this isn't their business. If anything, it sounds like they need to get out of this country as soon as possible.

Phoenix immediately disqualifies this plan. He has defied his own ethics and perverted death's sanctity by resurrecting Jacklyn and Jayden. Meaning, if he's to justify what he's done, they must perform adequate service for the nation, or die here.

Naturally the twins choose the former.

So Phoenix orders them, they are not to leave this country until they have substantially contributed to the death or subjugation of the cult's most prominent member, whoever that may be. Phoenix doesn't know. They may collaborate with officials or work independently if they wish. But they are not to tell anyone of their meeting here, or reveal that they are being forced by him to do this.

And they're not to leave the castle until the rain has passed, lest they kill themselves again. Natural water is poison here, idiots. But Ordish rats never learn that wisdom, nor much any wisdom in their fetid little hellhole, do they?

Every word he speaks carries power. Now that the order's been given, they have to play by its terms.

And so, for however long it takes until the rain is over, they'll be rooming with Phoenix Valens.

It's obvious, looking at the kitchen, that Phoenix hasn't been eating meals. But even as Jacklyn cooks dinner – the pantry and chiller are well-stocked – Phoenix refuses to partake in anything more substantial than an apple. Time passes as he and Jayden chat, though the harsh rain and overcast sky block any indication of it. So all three are caught off-guard when Phoenix's skin, as if latticed with trails of gasoline, bursts into flame.

Phoenix screams. Jacklyn scrambles for water to extinguish him – but Jayden gestures for him to stop, draws her knife, and slits Phoenix's throat. The injury kills him instantly, leaving the flames to spread and his body to smoulder. Soon nothing remains but ash.

But even with Phoenix dead, Jayden notes his commands persist. They are still bound to stay in the castle and eventually subdue some cultist bigshot. So with little else to do, Jayden has her dinner, and urges Jacklyn to do the same.

It's far from the first time Jacklyn has seen someone die. But so randomly, gruesomely, and to someone so young? Call him a pussy, but he's fighting his stomach to keep his food down.

He's unlikely to sleep tonight. So instead, Jayden proposes they explore the castle for anything valuable or useful.

This region of the castle, being Phoenix's living quarters, is in notably better condition than the neglected halls around the courtyard. In exchange, its labyrinthine floorplan is barely navigable. Doors, windows, and hallways are barricaded. Detours through hidden rooms or passages are needed to progress. Some areas demand they hop from one balcony to another, which the rain prevents. It is clearly the residence of a madman. Only their Ordish blood keeps them from getting lost.

They discover two things of note. The first are newspapers – recent ones, which, alongside the stocked pantry, confirm that Phoenix is being supplied somehow. Potentially by someone dominated into his service like them.

The second is a radio. A handheld transceiver radio. Jacklyn, a radio hobbyist, is delighted. Though he knows the technology to be fundamentally Ordish, he cannot identify this specific model. It receives many commercial channels and frequencies Jacklyn typically listens to, and, surprisingly, alongside the frequencies for Ordish and Asphodelean military operations, a handful of bands Jacklyn hadn't known existed.

Though he explores these frequencies through the night while Jayden sleeps, all he gets is static.

Terminate that machine and forever cease its use in my presence. Before Jacklyn can even register the order, his body has already obeyed. The crackling of the transceiver goes mute.

It is strangely unrevolutionary to see Phoenix, who died last night, standing in the kitchen doorway this morning.

Immortality does define Archons, after all.

Phoenix and Jacklyn talk momentarily about the circumstances of Phoenix's immortality before segueing onto the radio. Phoenix confirms these have existed since Ordanz briefly claimed practical ownership of Asphodel, and that to his knowledge, this specific technology is still very advanced and exclusive. Though Phoenix used these communicators extensively during the Tyrant's Reign, he no longer touches them. It's too hazardous.

And whatever plans Jacklyn has of stealing the thing, he better give up. Jacklyn insists he has no such intentions, but notes that if there are others, then this radio could be used to keep in contact with Phoenix. Phoenix fails to see the point and refuses, again stating that him being around radios is dangerous. Jacklyn also notes that, potentially, the cult could be communicating on the unknown bands, or it at least could function as an information gathering tool, and monitoring it may be useful for their mission. Though sceptical, Phoenix finds this more convincing and allows Jacklyn to keep the radio.

Several days pass before the rain stops. If Phoenix's life typically mirrors the time he spent with Jacklyn and Jayden, then it is truly wretched.

Die. Be reborn. Die. Be reborn. Confined to this palace, alone. A kid who can't look after himself. Of course he's unhinged.

Though Phoenix still seems to refuse the radio, Jacklyn announces he will call at a certain time on a certain frequency daily to report their progress. It's a gamble, given they're unsure who may be monitoring these channels or what they're for, but given that Jacklyn has found no activity on them at all, he supposes that, and Jayden begrudgingly accepts that, provided Jacklyn disguises his voice and keeps his transmissions vague enough, they are probably safe.

But really, he just wants to know it's possible for Phoenix to hear a human voice, every once in a while.

With the rain cleared, they see the ruins of the city, and amidst the rubble, a radio tower. It's their first stop, to quickly investigate the unknown bands.

Though long abandoned, the tower is still operational. Jacklyn activates the power and discovers that yes, this tower receives and transmits on the same bands as the portable transceiver. But the only clue they find after several hours of searching is a note on a clipboard labelling the bands as “Ops", struck through, with the annotation, “Compromised. Disuse." The specific frequency Jacklyn has chosen appears to be “Merc Ops."

The notes are old, likely another relic from the Tyrant's Reign. Jacklyn suspects, after the chaos, they have simply been abandoned.

With that mystery more or less resolved, they power down the tower and leave to consider their next move. But before they can, they are greeted outside by Trivia Venn.

Trivia announces that she is here, by Aquila's request, to smuggle the twins back to Ordanz. Phoenix's commands prevent Jacklyn and Jayden from complying, so Jayden begins a spiel about wanting to stick around until they've avenged their family. Jacklyn adds they'd be willing to work with Aquila and law enforcement to do this.

Trivia seems unreceptive. She explains that there are undoubtedly agents working against the Whitewood family, who will want Jacklyn and Jayden dead if their survival or identities are discovered. If these agents can sabotage a royal funeral service, then Aquila's circle could be compromised and his protection may not be secure. Hence why she, a third party, has been sent.

But if they're insistent on staying, she won't force them to leave. It doesn't really concern her. She only advises they keep themselves obscure. Swift, who is also there, notes they need to step up their game, since locating them from the sudden activation of a derelict radio tower was rather easy. Trivia suggests they retreat into hiding for the rest of their lives in some random village.

Neither of them are having it. Jayden is eager to return to Ordanz while Jacklyn has resolved to follow through for Phoenix. Seeing that they aren't going to budge, Trivia directs them towards the nearest town and assures them she'll alert Aquila of the circumstances. But she's not sticking around, since she and Swift have better things to be doing than embroiling themselves any further in this.

Before they part, Trivia lastly informs them that their mother is, to her knowledge, alive, but AWOL. Since the terms of Aquila's bargain with Ordanz to get the family across borders are calling quite stringently for her repatriation. While their father, and everyone else who attended, is dead.

On that dour note, Trivia leaves.

Taking her advice to heart, Jacklyn concocts new identities for himself and Jayden by running their names through one of his personal cyphers. And thus, he invents Raum and Reyl.