The sound of people coming through the portals of Sunfury Spire would be one that the guards, the students, and all others that frequent there become accustomed to. Usually there would just be a sort of a buzz or a whump.. then someone would appear. Most of the time, there wasn’t any notice when the sound was heard twice, but only one figure would come.
Taccion moved through the shadow like water or oil. The Court was quite bustling that night, and he had somewhere to be. He would come to Murder Row and be able to actually reveal himself. The man would walk quickly and quietly through the people that actually moved, those that stood seem to feel nothing as he brushed by. He found himself moving through the Row quickly before he would disappear once more once in the Walk of the Elders. His thoughts were like the shadow he passed into.. dark, endless.. he was unsure of what this meeting was about. He kept going till he had left the city. Once outside Silvermoon, he would mount his trusty hawkstrider, Bluemoon, and head to the Bladerunner Estate.
As the shadowed elf entered the room he realized he was not the only one tocome. There was Gandrell sitting at the other end of the long table.. the man at the helm, though cloaked in the shadow the grand chair would cast at this time of day, could only be Zyyraxx.
“Sit down, Taccion.. Recent events have brought upon this meeting.. Gandrell, Taccion was subdued before the woman was able to kill Felena. He has done well in recovery.” Zyyraxx mused with a waving hand.
Gandrell gave him a nod.. Taccion knew that at least his fearless leader had the respect to not make a jab at his pride. The death of the witch was meant to be his. He would go to sit at the seat on the opposite side of Gandrell.
“What is this about, Lord Zyyraxx?” Taccion would ask, a hand reaching to the table to rest, fingers spread.
“Well.. With Felena slain, it is time for me to rest my command of the House. The Law of Urgency no longer applies when such a threat has been diminished. Because of that, all standing orders of mine are to be ended unless the new Lord Gandrell decides. That means it is time to close the Crucible.”
A silence came. Gandrell said nothing. With Felena gone, there would be no protest to keep it open. Taccion looked to the man in the grand chair.. his flowing white hair glistening in the sun.
“And my place as its keeper, and the commander of its forces?” He asked, as if he was foolish enough to not know.
Zyyraxx would reach out to set his hand on Taccion’s. “Your watch has ended. And so has their’s. Untill we have need of it once more.”
“And your thoughts Gandrell?” Taccion would not use his official title yet. Not yet.
The red haired elf would look to the man and give a long exhale, crossing his fingers on the table. “My father is right. Such a thing can be seen as a threat, or perhaps us overstepping our bounds. It is time.”
Taccion would look to the table. What of the Legion? What of the conflicts we faced now? Why would the not wish to use the Section as a tool and weapon in this war? All answers that slowly came to his head. Finally he would stand and look to them.
“If it is to be done.. I go to do it now.”
In almost unison, the former and new lord nodded their heads. Taccion left without a word. The Crucible of Shadow and Section Six was his life. He had trained to be one of the secret assassins since he was a boy.. became the first prodigy to be known, taking the title of Head of Section before he had reached the age of one hundred and eleven. It was his father’s life. And his uncle’s before that.. and our founder Ko’jiro’s charge before that. He was not sure what life without it would even be like.
As Taccion entered the dimly lit room, he could imagine the people that sat and stood there before. His seat was always the one in the middle.. yet he only ever sat in it twice. As he took slow steps up to the chair, and the altar in the middle, his word was made law.
The lights roared in response, lighting the place. He sat down at the chair and reached to the altar, pressing and turning the pieces of the gold apparatus there. When he was done, a key hole had been shown. He reached to his chest plate to press a button that opened up a hidden pouch.. pulling a grey, finely made key of marble be revealed. He took it and pressed it into the keyhole.. his silence taking place of his will. When he would turn the key.. the Crucible would close before sun rise.. the thralls of it’s power would be recalled, and put to sleep. His eyes would become blind, his ears would become surrounded in darkness. Slowly he turned the key and pulled it free.. it had changed form to be used in a different key hole later. Quickly.. but hesitantly.. he left this place he had thought his second home.
“Rest now, Father..” Taccion whispered as he left that place behind to sink into the dirt till it was needed once more.
