Colum Asht

Colum Asht illustrated by @cherryspliced

Cavalier Primary to the Heir of the Eighth

Silas Octakiseron (Uncle)

> *"'I said," repeated Colum, slowly, "'I swear on my honour.' What does that mean to you?"*
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**Colum Asht** *(COL-um ASHT)* is the Cavalier Primary to the Heir to the House of the Eighth, Silas Octakiseron. Being that the Eighth House are soul siphoners, Colum (and his brothers) were bred to be used an power source and servant more than a proper cavalier.

## **Biography**

### **Early Life**

Born many years before his necromancer, Colum was one of three brothers bred to have different blood types to ensure a strong genetic bond with the eventual necromantic heir of the Eighth House. Judith Deuteros's Cohort Intelligence Files remark of records of three Asht brothers, aged 32, 34, or 37, but she was not aware of which brother was chosen. Gideon remarks that he looks "a little younger than Magnus," who is 38.

Many houses regard the Eighth's use of their cavaliers as undignified or even immoral, as they are primarily used as a source to be siphoned rather than a protector/warrior as in other houses. Colum Asht went through ten years of cavalier training before his uncle, Silas, was even born and was brought up fully aware of his role within his house. Colum suggests that they began training together when Silas was "[not] even 12" and that originally the young necromancer looked up to his cavalier a great deal. Very little else is known about the secretive eighth house.

### **Gideon the Ninth**

#### Act I

Eighth House arrives with the others to Canaan House, and disembarks without issue. Colum receives his iron key ring, and listens to Teacher explain the task before being led to their rooms.

#### Act II

The Eighth House interrupts the very end of Gideon's mid-day meal as they come to the dining hall. Silas Octakiseron refuses to eat in the presence of the "shadow cultist", and asks Colum to shoo Gideon. Originally perceived as a threat due to his stature and rugged clothing, he proves to be polite and apologetic.

After this interaction, Gideon sees little of the Eighth house, remarking only that they *"flattened themselves to the furthest wall as though she were contagious"* whenever they pass her in the halls of Canaan House. She also comes across Colum in the training room on one instance, but he excuses himself politely.

At Abigail and Magnus's anniversary dinner, Colum has the great misfortune of having Naberius Tern as a conversational partner. Harrow's eavesdropping reveals that the Eighth House has gained access to the lower floors of the facility.

#### Act III

After the discovery of Abigail and Magnus's corpses, and after the other necromancers have exhausted their own efforts, Colum and Silas descend to the lower levels to attempt to reach the spirits of Fifth House. Colum submits willingly and immediately to being siphoned. The siphoning begins to effect everyone in the room, leaching color from Colum and the others. Just as it seems as though Silas may have reached Abigail's ghost, Dulcinea cries out and falls. At his necromancers distress, Protesilaus punches Silas, who instantly collapses. Colum is left grey and unmoving.

As Teacher shoos everyone upstairs, Colum is unresponsive and needs to be carried by Coronabeth and Gideon. They place him at the table over a smoking bowl of "unidentifiable herbs." At the end of the conversation between Necromancers, Silas and Teacher pray over Colum's body, simply saying *"I bid you return. I bid... I bid..."* When he finally returns, Silas says only *"Fifteen minutes. You're getting tardy."*  The next morning, Dulcinea reveals the duel between Colum and Protesilaus is scheduled for the next day.

That evening, Colum is polishing his shield in the pool room when he finds himself in the middle of a second murder investigation. Gideon, Coronabeth, Naberius Tern, Lieutenant Dyas, and Colum all follow Isaac Tettares to the chimney incinerator where Jeannemary waits with the body. Colum helps to rake the rake the body fragments closer, and goes so far as to stick his hands into hot ashes with no apparent effect to his own health. He offers some small advice, but quickly realizes the charred bones and flesh could only be read by a bone magicians. He leaves again, taking Naberius with him to discuss his upcoming duel.

When Protesilaus is discovered missing and Dulcinea taken ill, Silas and Colum visit her sickbed and take her keys "for safekeeping." This news is not received well, but Colum does not protest or participate in the following arguments. Once the dueling is finished, Silas and Colum take their leave, ostensibly to look for Protesilaus.

#### Act IV

After the murders of Isaac Tettares and Jeannemary Chatur, Eighth House passes a distraught Gideon in the halls. Silas strikes up a conversation with her that quickly sours. He implies that he has knowledge of Ninth House crimes, refers to Gideon as "a victim of the Ninth House," and invites her to tea. Though she storms off, Colum guesses that she will come.

Following an argument with Harrow, Gideon decides to accept Silas's offer. Her arrival finds Colum in the middle of his chores. Surprised, he ensures that she has come alone and asks her to disarm. At Gideon's protests, he swears on his honor that she will not be hurt and she accepts the terms.

The Eighth House rooms are ascetic and perfectly clean, obviously kept up by Colum. He fetches his necromancer, who was mid-ablutions, and proceeds to brush and style his hair while Silas and Gideon discuss their business. As they argue, Colum finishes his hair, makes tea, and set himself to darning a pair of trousers.

At the close of the conversation, Silas asks for Gideon's keys and meets her refusal with a formal challenge. He threatens her, refusing to allow her her weapons. Colum reaches his breaking point and corrects his necromancer, stating that he has given her his word she would not be harmed. They argue, Silas insisting that the Ninth House is a corrupt house and that oaths and lies against the Ninth do not matter, and Colum firmly refusing to break his oath. The argument quickly grows personal, and Colum ends up nearly shouting at his necromancer. In Silas's stunned silence, Colum takes his opportunity to shepherd Gideon out of their rooms and return her weapons to her. He remarks that the next time they meet, one of them will likely die.

At the discovery of Protesilaus's head, the remaining necromancer/cavalier teams regroup in Dulcinea's room. Silas takes immediate offense to Dulcinea's "unholy" use of the beguiling corpse trick, and launches the two of them into an argument over the morality of necromantic siphoning. Angry, Silas attempts to leave the conference, but Colum stays to ask what was in the furnace if not Protesilaus. After an argument over using necromancy to investigate the bodies, Silas pronounces that he will keep watch over the morgue. He and Colum exit with Protesilaus's head.

After the discover of Second House's battle with Teacher, Gideon and her cohort return to find Silas waiting outside Dulcinea's room. He reports that Third House has defiled the corpse of Abigail, and they have not seen them since. Palamedes pieces together that a key was hidden inside of Abigail, which Third House now has in their possession. Colum explains that the half of the body found in the furnace is Protesilaus, but the other half is someone else. Together, Ninth, Sixth, and Eighth House set out to the room that would now be open.

Ianthe confesses to murdering Naberius as soon as they enter the laboratory, and Colum draws on her. He does not move as Silas interrogates Ianthe, eventually discovering the terrible secret to becoming a Lyctor. Colum closes his eyes and stands perfectly still, seemingly accepting his fate. Silas refuses to undergo the process of becoming a Lyctor, and tells Colum that he will "forgive" him for "assuming he would have been prey to this temptation." Instead, he sets Colum to fight the new Lyctor, Ianthe.

They fight viciously, Ianthe pressing her advantage of Lyctoral power and Colum pressing his advantage anytime her strength fails to keep up with Naberius's skill. It is no competition. Ianthe's necromancy quickly overtakes Colum's skill, and Silas renegs on his promise. Though he does not attempt to become a Lyctor, Silas ignores Colum's pleas and forces him to obey. He forces Colum under, siphoning huge amounts of energy to fight Ianthe. Colum manages one more slash at Ianthe's back before he is overcome.

Everything human in Colum drops away, his eyes turning completely black moving "like there were six people inside him, and none of those six people had ever been inside a human being before." Lights and slithering things are visible under his skin. Silas makes an aborted attempted to recall Colum, but whatever was inside of him kills Silas. Colum continues to devolve into a horror of teeth and tongues, until Ianthe steps in and breaks his neck.

### **Harrow the Ninth**

Although Silas Octakiseron is briefly present in the Bubble Canaan House, there is no mention of his cavalier.

## **Appearance and Personality**

Colum is first described as thus:

> *"[Silas's] companion --who was older, a fair bit older than Gideon herself-- had the air of the perpetually disgruntled. He was rather more robust, nuggety, and dressed in chipped bleached leathers that looked as though they'd seen genuine use. At least one finger on his left hand was a gross-looking stump, which she admired."*
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> *"He was strong-boned and weathered, deeply creased, yellow-brown and yellow-coarse all over. Next to his almost daintily dressed necromancer in white, he looked dusty and ferocious. He looked tough."*
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Later, when she goes to their rooms, Gideon expands on this observation with:

> *"Outside his uncle's shadow he was just as patchy and discoloured, as though he had a liver inflammation; he was still a leathery yellow-brown, and his hair was similar, which made him look the same all over. It was startling to realize the he was maybe a little younger than Magnus. He looked worn out and secondhand."*
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In contrast to his muscular and intimidating appearance, Colum's personality throughout the novel is rather quiet and polite. He has been raised to a monkish ideal, and seems to personify those habits completely. At every turn he seeks to hold himself and his uncle to their word and the word of the Tome, and chooses to diffuse most situations without violence. He seems above all tired, drained both by his necromancers magic and the multitude of ways in which the Lyctor Trials conflict with his religious upbringing.

## **Relationships**

### Silas Octakiseron

Colum's relationship with his necromancer is complex. Born before Silas, and both created and raised to serve him, Colum shows no issue taking a servants role. He is seen brushing and styling his hair, cleaning their quarters, and doing their mending without any complaint. Furthermore, for a majority of the novel he is completely willing to be used in Silas's siphoning and submits without question.

However, in his argument with Silas when Gideon comes to tea, it becomes immediately apparent that the pair used to have a very different dynamic. When he was young, Silas worshiped his older nephew and listened to him without question. As he has grown older, Silas has become less and less willing to acknowledge his cavalier's agency or opinions. Colum is greatly saddened and beaten by this change in personality.

> "*I respected the child. At times I can't stand the man, Si."*
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> *"Oath? Ten years of training, before you were even born. Oath? Three brothers with different blood types, because we couldn't tell what you'd be and which of us you'd need. Ten years of antigens, antibodies, and waiting-- for you. I am the oath. I was engineered into a man who doesn't--pick and choose his decencies!"*
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In his final battle, Colum asks to be spared and asks not to be siphoned, but Silas does not grant this wish. Their relationship disintegrates entirely, and Silas overpowers Colum with his necromancy, sending him under. He does not return.

## **Trivia**

* Colum is referent to Columba, and his three brothers all have sacrificial animal names--Colum (dove), Ram (sheep), and Capris (goat).

## **References**

1. ↑  tazmuir, Tumblr.com.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Gideon the Ninth," Act IV, Ch. 28
3. ↑ "Gideon the Ninth," Act III, Ch. 18
4. ↑ "Gideon the Ninth," Act II, Ch. 10
5. ↑ "Gideon the Ninth," A Little Explanation of Naming Systems