Trojian Horse

“But why my son!?” the Queen demanded of Arien when he had explained his intention to leave Trojian. She leapt from the chair and proceeded to hold his arms pleadingly. Hethios stood behind her echoing her words with some well-timed eye movements. “Why do you have to go?”

“It is necessary. I know you won’t understand it but I have to. That is where the truth of our real enemy will come to light.”

“We know our enemy, he is dead now,” the Queen answered still holding Arien’s hands.

“No, that is the face they wanted us to see,” Arien replied.

“What? I don’t understand it. Who are they?” the Queen asked, her whole body rejecting the notion that there was something afoot that only Arien could see and incredulous that there was anyone who would follow him on his foolish errand. She shook her head repeatedly when she wasn’t speaking causing her whole body to shake involuntarily.

“I don’t understand why you need us,” Roue said.

“Don’t you understand? We are the ones Reeger feared most, the ones who stood in the way of his total domination and subsequently that of his masters.”

“The idea that Reeger had a master terrifies me,” Roue said scratching his head as if he were trying to comprehend why he was agreeing to any part of Arien’s plan.

“You should be terrified, that’s good. That’s also why we will be prepared.”

“I still don’t understand why we have to start on Ser-oos?” Roue asked.

“Yes, why there Arien?” the Queen asked. “I know we haven’t been very open with you but we can change that. You don’t have to go so far away to find answers we could give you.” Her whole face seemed to be pleading with Arien to reconsider.

“That’s where it all started. I can’t really explain it but I know that is where we have to go. I know we will find answers there.”

“But who do you go to when you get there? What do you ask them? It doesn’t seem like a well thought out plan to me,” Hethios chimed in tired of maintaining his silence.

“There are lots of questions, I know, but I can feel it, it’s a very strong feeling…like a --”

“Hunch,” Roue said.

“Yes, I suppose…” Arien said.

“What is that?” Turo asked innocently.

“Let’s just say he’s not changing his mind,” Roue said to her. “And he does have the Thalios after all so maybe we have to trust his feelings. He did save us all after all.”

Arien nodded and smiled at Roue, appreciative of his support. Roue smiled back reassuringly.

“Maybe he actually knows what he is talking about. If he is sure then we will gladly follow him. We will care for him Hethios,” Elia-bi said much to the shock of everyone in the room. Many in the room had never heard her speak while Mato-Rayo simply grunted loudly in support of her statement. She was perched on Mato’s shoulder and she quickly went back to looking out of the windows and pretending to ignore the conversation.

The Queen, who had gone back to her seat, stood up prompting the room to silence. “Well, if that is what you have decided,” she said, “then there is little we can do but to accept it and help you on your way.” Hethios looked at her with wide eyes, feeling betrayed. She ran her hand on Hethios’ face and walked over to Arien and held his hands once again. “Come back to us. We need to let everyone know, come with me.” She led Arien out of the throne room into the courtyard outside the hall that was crammed full of Vulpeculae eager to hear their champion speak.

The Queen told them about Arien’s plan to leave Trojian in pursuit of an unseen enemy who he said was more dangerous than Reeger. The announcement drew many sighs of sadness but just as many shocked gasps at the news that the war was not quite over. Arien felt the Queen was trying to sabotage him a little but he understood her sadness and he would not respond. Arien thanked them all for raising him and stressed again the importance of him going away. Not just for them but for many others who were facing what they had recently faced. When an anxious Vulpecula in the crowd asked why it had to be him to go and fight this evil, Arien told him it was because he was he was the one given the means to mete out justice for those who couldn’t defend themselves.

No more questions were asked and the crowd dispersed leaving an empty courtyard.