Horus sheathed his sword but left it unclipped, ready to draw and strike in case anything happened. He was in unfamiliar waters, everything wasn't as it seemed and he really needed answers.
"I'm sorry for being the uninformed idiot here," Horus started. "But can I get an explanation? What could Wally have done to deserve all this? And why are you guys the ones sent after him?"
Wally grimaced at the words, John deflated like a man that had been running for months, but June glared slightly.
She walked over to flick his forehead. "Wally didn't do anything wrong."
Wally's expression grew furious, but before he could start warning June, Horus raised a hand.
"It's fine. I can take a flick to the head, what I can't take is being the only one here lost."
John raised a hand. "Let me explain our misfortune. Urchin's real function is internal, but also external, espionage. Most of their capabilities and tools are strongest in Bloodhaven and its colonies."
"They watch people and predict danger," Wally added. "They have a lot of Seer and Assassin classes. They also have a lot of… connections within the Fort and Sierra."
"He means blackmail," June said to Horus, ignoring her brother's annoyed glare.
John took the lead once again. "They are nasty gremlins, but good, scary good. Anything not worth their attention is filtered through connections. Then any name that reaches them is put through computer algorithms and Seer routines till they get even the slightest hint that you may harm Bloodhaven."
"Usually they wait till they have evidence. After all, these files are kept in their office at Command, sealed against anyone below Master-tier, but they still need evidence to back up what they will do."
Horus' blood grew cold. "What do they do to anyone they find evidence against?"
"I think you already know," John said with a heavy face.
Wally and June turned away from him, but Horus didn't expect them to be happy with him. He had been to those dungeons, those dark places where traitors were executed.
"So they recruit the families to get rid of them."
"Only the highest of the high. The three great families, some of the Blessed families, and other families that provide services to Urchin. They organise capture, then they bring the cases to a family and the Masters of Scouts and Internal Security. Some signatures, enough evidence and heads will roll."
John's voice grew grim. "Wally's case was brought to all our families. It was partially because of the flimsy evidence, but also to test our loyalty."
"Then why wasn't I involved?" Horus' chest grew tighter and tighter. "If they wanted to test our loyalty…"
No one answered. But he couldn't believe that his father and family would not test his resolve. They had asked him to prove his loyalty, to execute traitors, to take pain in exchange for keeping Twilight's secrets.
Why did they not tell him this time?
"What I don't get is why now?" June said to Wally.
She had pointedly ignored John's existence this whole time, but she couldn't stop him from answering.
"Your brother will join the Lower Council earlier. They were going to petition for him to join at eighteen instead of twenty. Wally's main plan according to what I heard was to open a petition against the Master of Internal Security, claim negligence and use of extreme force at a protest last year."
June sternly didn't face John, but his words made her blink. "But why?"
"At first it was you," Wally said with a sad smile. "People died in that protest. You could have died too. But it grew later, we could use it to bring things to light; the hidden executions, purposeful negligence when the Shield break that year happened."
"If they refused you were going to petition to Lord Thunder himself," John said, shaking his head.
"Lower Council can't petition Lord Thunder," Horus murmured. Mundanes in general had to go through the Higher Council to get their complaints heard.
"We can send the petition to Lord Thunder," Wally clarified. "If we get just ten percent of the Higher Council to sign, Lord Thunder must see it. That's just five votes from the fifty members of the Higher Council."
Horus shook his head. He knew those people, their pride would make them swallow glass before that. "They would never sign."
"I can make sure they will," Wally said.
Suddenly it made sense. Horus laughed unwillingly. "See me thinking the blackmail was against some petty officials or kids."
"Some of them involve their kids. The others I got from attending parties with you and John. Sorry, I never meant to use you guys. But it was… just there. It was startling how little they did to even hide it."
Wally's apology made both Horus and John sigh. What was done was done though.
"So Urchin have evidence of you using this blackmail?"
"Oh, paradise, no," Wally snickered. "I haven't even gotten into the Lower Council yet. And my friends would be more willing to burn Urchin down if they ever wrote down my threats. Only the upper echelons of Urchin know what I'm doing."
"They consulted some Seers, but they couldn't see you having direct damage," John explained. "Even the man that came to my house doesn't fully understand why they have to kill you."
"Then what justifies this entire murder campaign?" Horus asked, his voice rising in anger.
John glared at his red-haired friend. "If Wally's petition got ignored by Lord Thunder, he would take this to the Mundane population as evidence that Command was hiding something. The Seers saw a high possibility that Wally would gather enough support to pressure Lord Thunder."
Horus' jaw dropped, Wally avoided his eyes, but said, "What else could I do? How else would we get justice?"
"I don't know, peacefully gaining more friends, blackmail, anything else!" John stressed, raising his hands in defeat. "Mass protests, turning Lord Thunder's people against him is not the way."
"You offend every awakened's pride by standing against our Lord," Horus whispered weakly. "You show that you don't know your place."
"Lord Thunder turned his back on the people he claimed to protect first," June hissed, glaring at John finally. "We don't respect people that treat us like toys."
John swallowed, turning paler. "I understand that, but this wasn't the way." He turned to Horus. "You understand what I'm saying, right?"
Horus did. He understood so clearly it made him sick, because if you asked him this a year ago, he'd say Wally was a fool. A weakling that didn't appreciate the danger of the strong.
"You can't claim to care about people only when they behave exactly as you like," Horus said. Something inside him let go. His right hand loosened on the sword he had been so tightly holding on to.
"Lord Thunder relies on people to strengthen his territory, but ignores them when they need him."
June stared at him like he started floating. Slowly her right hand reached towards his, intertwining fingers, holding tightly.
Horus returned the gesture, still staring into space, wondering how this could be fixed. There were too many layers, too many people he could offend by mistake, too many he had to please before that.
Wally and John glanced at their hands but carefully pretended they were blind.
John spread his hand. "Okay, I fully agree. I want the best for you guys. But rather than threaten our Lord, let's rely on Horus!"
With a confused expression, Horus raised his head. "What?"
"You're the symbol of the future. Lord Thunder can't live forever, and his sons and daughters are all gathering allies to decide who will succeed his legend. What better ally than Horus felling Twilight. He can—"
"No," Wally interrupted. "We already relied on one man and see where it got us. People feeling they have the right to just kill anyone that disagrees with them. Never again. We can use Horus' gravity, but I'm not throwing all my cards into the fire and betting on the moon falling from the sky. Even if it could happen."
Silent thought consumed them for the next few minutes. Wally began handing out water in the cups he brought. They were only three cups, and it wasn't until June reached for his empty cup did he realise they were still holding hands.
As discreetly as he could, Horus let go and scratched his head, only to feel how embarrassing his move was.
Wally and John covered their mouths, while June nervously glanced at him, before getting water from Wally.
"So," Horus said, coughing to clear the air. "What's your plan for escape?"