Reazon and the old man made their way through the winding streets of Sylvatica, the setting sun dyeing the many white stone buildings and gardens a deep red. Reazon did his best to keep a cool head while Tower Master Cypher walked with him towards the noble's quarter where Jet and Dayja had made their home. Why would the Tower Master lie about the cause of Jet's death? Was he complicit? And why would they try to cover it up?
"Reazon," Cypher's voice interrupted his thoughts, " Thank you for fulfilling your duties. I know it must be hard on you to come with me on this task, but as upholders of the law we must always execute it flawlessly."
Reazon nodded, keeping his thoughts to himself. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of law it was that brought them to a woman about to give birth to tell her that her husband, the father of her child, was killed? And this timing! Reazon shook his head in frustration.
"Surely this could have waited until the morning after Dayja had the child?" Reazon began, dreading the coming encounter.
Cypher looked at the young man and sighed.
"Then what? Leave the poor woman to the chance of finding out by some other person? That is cowardly, Reazon. The law states we inform them as soon as possible, regardless of circumstance. Poor health is no excuse for us to not fulfill our obligations to her."
"Poor health?" Reazon thought to himself with a growing sense of frustration. She was having a baby! Not a case of the flu or an upset stomach! "Can't we leave the poor woman in peace long enough to at least catch her breath?" A quiet chill slowly spread across Reazon's spine as he turned to look at the old Tower Master, who was smiling gently as he walked down the street. The shadows seemed to cling to his back for an instan, turning that gentle smile into something… apathetic… perhaps even sinister. With a small shift in the light, his appearance returned to his mild mannered, gentle self. Had that simply been a trick of the light?
"Come along Reazon," Cypher spoke out, increasing his pace. "We have kept her waiting long enough."
As they quickend their pace through the street Reazon couldn't help but feel that the Tower Master was somehow not referring to Dayja.
***
"Push, madam! I can see the baby crowning!" The midwife called out as two colorless women brought a fresh cloth and a bowl of warm water to a nearby table.
Dayja lay atop a bed stripped of sheets, breathing heavily, her face slick with sweat. Her muscles spasmed with a wave of pain as the contractions continued. With a scream from Dayja and a final push, a soft crying sound was heard as the midwife raised the newborn infant wrapped in a clean cloth and handed it to the two colorless to bathe.
"Congratulations madam," the woman said with a smile. "it's a girl!"
Dayja let out a sigh, exhausted on the bed after the long labour, when another wave of pain swept over her. Another contraction. The midwife, seeing her react, came over and checked her, a look of sadness on her face.
"I am sorry, Madam," the midwife began. "It appears you are having twins."
Dayja began to cry.
***
"Really, Tower Master, if you are here to offer congratulations on the birth, now is not the most appropriate time!" A small man dressed as a butler interjected emphatically as Reazon and Cypher moved quickly down the hall towards Dayja and Jet's room.
"If it were not a matter of utmost importance, Donavin," Cypher said, pushing past the little man, a nearly manic glee in his eyes, "then I would not have made the journey myself. It cannot wait, I am afraid."
Reazon held his staff tightly as he did his best to keep pace with the duo, growing more and more wary of the Tower Master's behavior. Rather than coming to assist in letting Dayja know about her husband's death, it seemed more and more that he had some other purpose here. He knew if it came down to it, he was no match for this old man, but in his heart he was determined to protect his master's family at the least if something happened.
"Master Cypher-," Donavin began to try and dissuade again before being cut off.
Cypher strode boldly forward, opening the doors to the room revealing the panicked expression of the four women in the room. Sitting on the bed propped up on a pillow, Dayja lay weekly holding two small squirming bundles. Upon seeing the two babies, Reazon felt his heart drop and despair swam over him.
"No….!" Reazon felt his very soul quiver at the scene that he knew was about to unfold.
The midwife tried to step forwards to intervene along with the colorless women, however before they could even say a word, they felt the air around them condense and drag them slowly aside. Although they seemed unharmed, the two colorless women seemed to be screaming.
Stepping forwards, Cypher looked down at the weak Dayja, shaking his head. "I am sorry Dayja," he said. The previous mania was now hidden behind the mask of a gentle face, revealed only by his eyes."Today Reazon and I have come to inform you according to the laws established to bring order to Garden, that your husband, Jet Ream, has perished in his civil duty to defend our nation from a beast tide. It is further my duty upon discovery of this scene to remind you of the laws regarding twin births in this our nation. It is written that none are born equal, and that each is entitled to a singularity of birth and a singularity of death. The birth of a second child in such a moment was deemed to be a breach of this law in the year-"
"Jet is dead?" Dayja interrupted calmly, although pale from the recent birth.
Cypher stopped briefly in his exposition of the law before turning to Reazon with a hint of annoyance.
"Madam, according to the reports of the Tower, Master Jet passed away alongside Corrin while fighting off a large number of Salamanders who had come to the surface. According to the Tower Master, they had received inaccurate reports of their numbers and sent the two of them to handle the situation along with several other Gardeners." Reazon explained.
"That makes no sense! Cypher, what is the meaning of this? You know full well that Jet could never have been-" Dayja responded, glaring weekly at Cypher.
"I saw the body, Dayja. It was released into my custody. If you require further proof...." Cypher paused before reaching into his robes and pulling out a crystal rose bloom that had been broken in half. It was a black crystal similar in appearance to obsidian, almost like black molten glass. Once one became a Master they must forge a staff for themselves, and each crystal would take a unique shape. Despite their fragile appearance, the crystal itself was incredibly sturdy and nearly impossible to break, with few known exceptions, such as if they were overloaded with more energy than the crystal was capable of bearing, or a temporary weakening of the crystal upon the death of its creator.
"No!" Dayja cried loudly as the two bundles she held began to cry out as well, not knowing what was happening. She raised her hand and the floor began to shudder as tendrils of vines began to pry through the marble flooring, lashing out at everyone in the room. Reazon found himself flying through the air as a vine pounded into his chest, catching him unawares as he focused his attention on the Tower Master, slamming heavily into the wall. Donavin dove out of the way, and the three women curled up on the ground, trying to cover their heads with their hands. Stepping forwards, Cypher simply tapped his staff upon the ground as the many vines and branches began to wither as they broke the surface. This stalemate continued as more vines emerged and then withered continually, becoming a cycle of seemingly endless life and death.
"Dayja Ream," Cypher began while nonchalantly making his way through the room that seemed to be falling apart around him, "as Chief Officer of the Tower and enforcer of the laws, you are hereby found guilty of assaulting two officers in their duties, obstructing them in their task as law keepers. You are hereby under arrest for said charges."
Dayja simply glared hatefully at the man as he continued to approach her.
"It is also my duty to inform you," Cypher continued "that according to the laws established in the third month of the year two-hundred thirty three, the birth of twins was deemed unnatural as it draws the strength of one child and separates it into two. To correct this imbalance, the child with the least potential is to be put to death, according to the law."
"You can't have them!" Dayja redoubled her efforts, a trickle of blood beginning to drip from her nose as the vines that had been withering moments ago seemed to regain their vitality. Reazon pulled himself up from the ground, barely managing to raise his stave in time to defend himself as the strengthened vines continued to rampage.
"You took my husband from me! You shan't take my son or my daughter as well!" Dayja cried as she poured her energy into her work with all she could muster. Blood began to drip from her ears, her face a bright red and her breathing labored.
"Dayja, stop!" Reazon cried in horror, trying his best to fight his way through the violent plants, firing off ripples from his staff to try and sever the vines and get closer.
Cypher continued to walk with ease through the tangle, the crazed smile on his face no longer hidden in the least.
"Yes Dayja, listen to the boy!" Donavin cried out as he dodged behind Reazon, narrowly avoiding a wooden stake that would have ended his life. "Please calm down, mistress!"
Cypher stopped at the foot of the bed, looking down at Dayja with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Plants seemed to try and grasp around him, only to be redirected away as if bouncing off a solid object. Raising his wooden hand and clasping the fingers together, Reazon watched as that hand became a stake. Then Cypher stabbed Dayja through the heart.