Thief of the Eclipse Short Story – Part 2: Parley with the Diseased Man
As promised, part 2 of the “Thief of the Eclipse” short story is below. Click here if you missed part 1 of the story.
Thief of the Eclipse Short Story – Part 2: Parley with the Diseased Man
“Memories?!” Zelena cried. “How in the two moons would I steal memories!”
“There are ways,” Lazaro said, shifting position in his wheeled throne. His boney limbs strained to move his own weight.
“His mind is as broken as his body,” her sister, Usha, whispered in her head.
“You don’t have to believe me,” Lazaro continued. “Just do the mission and I will tell you what I know of your father.”
She shook her head, still not believing. “How can I steal memories? They are incorporeal.”
“Yes, and your special power which makes you one of the best thieves alive, also makes you perfect for this undertaking.”
Thief of the Eclipse. Short story by Robin A. Burrows. Artwork by Tim Robbins. www.facebook.com/TimRobbinsArt.
Zelena started. “How do you know about my power?”
“I presume you don’t often leave that monastery. You’re quite infamous in the Osage Grove underworld, and Father Remiel is not unknown for collecting youngsters with special talents. You didn’t think you and that boy were the only ones, did you?”
Lazaro paused to catch his breath, fighting off another coughing fit before continuing. “There is an artifact which stores memories. It is on a caravan leaving for the University the day after tomorrow. You need to acquire the artifact and then use it on the target.”
“Who?”
“Father Remiel.”
Zelena’s breath caught in her throat.
“Get out now,” her father’s voice whispered. “He’s trying to kill you.”
“And you were stupid enough to walk into it,” Usha added in her head.
“You were so well-informed about everything else. You should know that Father Remiel hand-picked me for the Eclipse Guard,” Zelena said. “He caught me pickpocketing after my sister died and he still rescued me from the streets. He gave me a place to belong. I won’t betray him.”
“I’m not asking you to betray anyone. Your connection to Remiel may bother you, but it improves your chances of success. This is actually a recovery mission. You would be…reacquiring memories which were stolen from me. He wouldn’t lose the memories, and I would regain what was mine all along.” Lazaro’s voice cracked and softened to a raspy whisper. He picked up a glass of water and sipped until he could speak again.
Zelena flicked dust off the arm of her chair. Her mind was a torrent of thoughts. If she took this mission, she could lose her place in the Eclipse Guard – the only life she’d known for years now. If she didn’t, she would lose the opportunity to learn the truth about her father.
“Why are these memories so important?” Zelena asked. “You can live without memories, but you need to be alive to live. I could steal a potion to heal you instead.”
Lazaro’s laugh was more of a sputter, but it went on for a long minute before he stopped to catch his breath. “There’s no potion in these worlds to heal my curse. But I need these memories to heal my soul. Remiel stole every memory of my wife except the agony of her death.” His voice turned bitter and he wiped the sides of his eyes before the glistening moisture could escape.
Zelena felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Father Remiel believed in justice for one’s actions. He wouldn’t have taken this man’s memories without cause. If stealing memories were even possible. Yet she understood not knowing the truth about a loved one, and he was offering her truth in exchange for his memories.
“You shouldn’t risk your position in the Eclipse Guard,” her father whispered.
“I’ll need to time to decide,” she told Lazaro.
“You’re more of fool than I thought,” Usha sneered.
Lazaro handed her a scroll. “This contains a sketch of the artifact and the location of the caravan. Acquire the artifact and return here if you decide to take the mission. I will explain how to use it then.”
“What if I tell Father Remiel everything?”
“You won’t. You’re too much like your father in that regard.” A tender smile crossed his face. “But I am weary now and have other business to attend to yet this night. Could you send in the person waiting outside?”
Zelena nodded and turned to leave. She had a day to decide what to do before the caravan left with the artifact.
Opening the squeaky door, she expected to see Adan outside, but a woman and a teenage boy rested on the patch of soft vines growing through the hole in the roof in what once must have been an elegant arched hallway. The boy’s leg was tied to a wooden brace, and his whole body was red and swollen. He looked only marginally better than Lazaro.
Their eyes followed her, but they did not raise their heads.
“He said to go on in,” Zelena told the woman.
“Th-thank you” the woman replied, her lips trembling as she rose and helped the boy to his feet.
What am I getting myself into, Zelena wondered.
In her head, she heard Usha’s maniacal laughter. “And you thought I was trouble. He’s going to eat you alive.”
— to be continued —
Come back the 2nd Tuesday of next month for the next part of this story. Subscribe to the blog via email in the box on the top right of this page and be one of the first to read new stories when they are posted!
