Reverberations by Aaron Frale

Author:Aaron Frale [Frale, Aaron]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-09T22:00:00+00:00

11

Ludie had left Hector at the foot of the High Priest with what was definitely a dislocated shoulder. The kid had popped it out of place because he didn’t know his own strength, which was a common theme with Ludie. The former Tuner always doubted himself and had self-confidence issues that almost made him ineligible for the organization, but Hector had given him a chance anyway.

Even though he had no control over Ludie’s choices, Hector blamed himself for bringing a person into the Tuners before they were ready for the responsibility. He had thought the kid would gain confidence with a little experience under his belt. The opposite seemed to happen. The more Ludie went out, the more he dug into his nutty quest to augment himself and the others. At first, Hector thought it was a boon to have a person so dedicated to improving their equipment. He realized too late that it was just to cover inadequacy.

Regardless of the original motivation, the kid was probably starting to realize that he screwed up and was in too deep but was too afraid to admit it. While Ludie wasn’t a lost cause, he knew that the kid wasn’t going to get them out of this mess. That left negotiating with the High Priest. However, Hector wasn’t even sure he could talk to the madman, much less look for a peaceful solution.

Either way, he was here now, and probably would never get a chance to talk again, so he needed to make use of the time. Regardless of what happened to him now, it was up to his team, and he knew they were up to the task. His only regret would be that he wouldn’t get a chance to tell them they were doing a good job.

The High Priest of the Flame told Hector to stand.

Hector opened his mouth to speak, but the leader silenced him. The High Priest sized up the former Tuners chief and said, “Do you know obedience?”

“I know loyalty,” Hector said. “And it pushes people farther than you ever could by ruling out of fear.”

The High Priest chuckled, though it sounded like more of a cackle. He turned to one of the lesser priests in the room who stood next to the fire they had burning at the center of his conference table. He instructed the acolyte to squelch the flame.

“But Holy One,” the acolyte said, “to let the Flame go out is to risk death and eternal damnation.”

“That is what the Flame requires of you. It is not for you to decide who are the servants and who are the honored fallen,” the High Priest ordered.

The priest looked around for a moment and said, “Holy One, there is no water. Allow me to—”

“Do as you’re told!” the High Priest said firmly.

The priest climbed onto the table and used his body to cover the bowl and cringed as the flame seared his flesh. Eventually, the oxygen-depleted and the flame went out. The acolyte got down from the table.

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