37th of Vynerth, 1257 of the First Age.
Trees on the street started their blossoming in the last week of the month. Their leaves blanketed the alabaster and golden streets of Luth-Astaril in colorful shadows. Children’s laughter filled the streets while parents worked at the stands selling baked goods and thin clothes in preparation of the warmer season. Custodiir in their shiny armors and refined tunics patrolled the streets, and maintained order while a few exchanged kind words with the friendly traders and citizens.
Aurelithae watched from the top of the rooftop all this happening, her expression varied from mildly positive to covetous as she watched the children try to gift their toys to the custodiir. Every so often she peeked at her right, and stared at the emptiness as she waited patiently while the wind rustled the layers of veils on her head. She had been sitting there since the end of the lunar phase. She had watched the sky slowly painting itself into a deep shade of blue from the deep black for the first time in her seventy or so years with amazement.
“Finally.” She uttered as the towering, muscled figure of Naghig showed up in her vision, a few blocks away still whence she had been called the previous week. As usual, he was lightly dressed in a grayish black tunica with deep silver trims ornated with aevhen runes of willing servitude.
Her lips curved up mildly at the edges, then her body sank into the burgundy red rooftop as she headed down to the cellar. As she rushed through the wide corridor of the pub where her meeting was elected by Mirayroth himself – she passed by a few folks she got accustomed though the past few weeks. Kind and swift exchanges filled the corridors, muffled only by her footsteps against the wooden floor.
“Ah, Luelia he is almost here.” Deochaarn, a dwarf from the Hogstol Clan greeted her as soon as her bottom landed on the top of the tall chair.
“Morning Chaarn, just the usual and thank you. Just saw him on the streets myself too.” She said as she maintained her usual calm demeanor while letting her faux dark wavy hair flow down to her red shawl.
“Comin right up!” Deochaarn said as he pulled up his creased, wet sleeves. His bronzish skin emitted a metallic sheen that invited Aurelithae’s gaze – even if it wasn’t the first time. Then he grabbed one of the larger kegs and filled it with a seamless, cherry flavored beverage which scent made her gulp audibly.
“Did he mentioned anything on what my task may be?” A sigh escaped her as the sweet, silken beverage flowed down into her belly. Its sweetness a refreshing bliss made her break her calm act as the beverage elevated her mood.
“Not anything particular. But seems like a promotion maybe on the way.” Deochaarn said while cleaning another keg. “But there is a possibility it is about the recent kidnappings.” Then he added as he noticed her dejected gaze reflected on the surface of her drink.
“Really?” Her head shot up, and she spoke with a calm look but a contrasting merry tone.
“I let the rest be said by himself.” He exhaled realizing he may have said too much as he noticed Naghig entering the place. His eyes motioned to Aurelithae that the orkh has arrived then went away to serve the other guests.
“Already spending your time here on this precious, warm day?” Naghig asked in his deep, gruff voice while the chair creaked under his weight, the counter tenderly trembled under his arms.
“One can never be too early.” She answered while taking measured sips from her drink. While at first, she found his skeletal like face a bit dreadful, now she felt calm, even happy in a sense.
“Yet you still drink sweetened pish water.” He said without a hint of hesitation in his voice. Yet she only chuckled at those words while he got a large keg of silken mead.
“I’m still a child.” She said cheekily while gulping down her drink. “So what is this week’s task?” Her eyes looked at the aging orkh and her mouth uttered the question that poked at her since she had woken up.
The old orkh sighed. “A child still yet goes straight to business huh? Can’t even take a little break.” Naghig muttered under his breath as the beverage burned throughout its way down to his stomach.
“What can I say. I’m eager as the next one.” Bubbles in which her mesmerizing face reflected, raised from her beverage, danced in the air playfully before they fell back in to the confines of the wooden keg.
“Eager to correct their mistakes.” Those word penetrated her heart like sharp daggers, made her hunch down to her drink.
“Give her a bit of break. No one is perfect the first time.” Deochaarn jumped in as he passed by.
“True. But after the first mistake, its better to thread carefully. The Custodiir may have stopped looking for you, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get a job like that.” He said while shaking his empty keg.
“But for how long. It has already been almost a decade.” Aurelithae said with pearly, cold eyes staring at him.
“Sometimes I feel like he overestimates you when it comes to your intelligence.” Naghig said as he let out another deep sigh.
“I do understand where I made a mistake, and what repercussions it had brought upon. But still, since than I try to better myself in every possible way.” Aurelithae said in a visibly calm manner, yet each of her words were thinly laced with her frustration.
“That part you got. But I doubt you fully understood the whole picture. Including your dear old Father.” Naghig for a moment seemed to entertain to just ignore her and dump the task on her. But he could not overcome his orkish temper.
“Then enlighten me.” She said while slowly turning towards him, piercing through him with her faux eyes.
“Well, may he be damned. All I will say is that we have deep rooted doubts that your father is unaware of your little tours.” As he spoke, his attention remained on the mirroring surface of the mead, that reflected his haunting visage adorned with a strange, but pondering expression.
“How would he? I mean all our childhood he would not allow us to leave the keep.” She asked as a faint chill coursed down her spine.
“Let me ask you this. What do you think the role of the Emperor is within the Empire’s structure?” With a sigh, he asked her meeting her now less confident gaze.
“To guide the people, protect them through the laws and legions from the threats of the continent. That is why the deossos and the Dreamer have chosen him for this role.” After a bit of pondering, she stated her answer. An answer born of the books she read in the vast library of Radeions-Servarith, known in the common tongue as the Radiant Keep.
“Correct, in a small part.” Naghig said with his crude, dry lips moistened by the mead curved up into a faint smile of victory.
“What part did I miss?” Aurelithae asked in a as she felt the tingling scorching needles of the Agitated Lord.
“That, you will have to found out yourself. But not in your cozy little library, but in the House of Records.” He pondered whether to speak or not to, but in the end, he said those words while reaching into his pockets.
“Here, take this. Give it to the Recorder at the front counter. They will guide you where the last few parts of the answer lie.” He pulled out a small, grayish black coin with an all too familiar symbol engraved into its harsh, metallic surface. A single, mystique eye partially open, partially sewed closed by spider like thread that extend towards the edges in straight, sharp lines. The symbol of the Ever-Curious Seneschal, the Deos of ever-flowing fate and the thirst, desire for knowledge to better oneself.
“Now the task is simple assassination of a Captain of the Custodiir harassing one of our suppliers in the docks…”
**
“Stand aside. Father, His Majesty is expecting me.” Albron stopped and stated to the two silent guards of the Royal Praetorians stationed at the Gate of Enlightenment, as his Father decided to rename it.
The gate itself had been issued by Himself at the start of his reign, approximately a thousand years ago. Southern dwarves of the Aethgoorn Clan manufactured it from golden marble native to the Golden Deserts of the South. In its natural state, it is a rock with a blinding white hue, smooth surface in which one worthy of mining it could see their own reflection. Through arkhaine means they have enhanced its natural sheen why also altering the hue into golden with a hint of ruby red glow dependent on where the sun shines upon its surface.
On said surface, the outlines of two figures, a feminine and masculine aevhen figure bulged out, the empty space filled up with azurite and rubirite crystal. Both figures were carved with an impeccable beauty, while through enchantments they reflect Terrianis meditating behind in the center.
The gate opened in silence revealing the single path going straight to the center of the circular room. Surrounding the platform, was a lake of pristine nature and an unseeable depth. Above the center, an enormous white sphere hovered, swirled around blanketing the room in a colorless light and a pleasant warm.
“What news do you bring us today?” As soon as he stepped in, without making a single sound, Terrianis stood up halting him for a moment. A respectful dread coursed through his being, then with a sigh he continued on until he was only seven steps away from him.
“The search for the perpetrators is going on as you ordered my Majesty. We managed to found two of them, but there have been some complications.” Albron got down onto his knees after which he forced those words out.
“They killed themselves.” Terrianis said while he kept his focus on the lake. “Hardly a surprise that I hoped you would have been prepared for.”
“We were, my Liege. But the maghia they used or were cursed with was something we haven’t seen yet, not even from the worshippers of the Grimm Sovereign or the Nightscale.” Albron said, his gaze focused on the carpeted floor under his father’s veiled feet.
“And? Did they erase their own mnemonic residue? Did your interrogators go mad or turned into rabid beasts hungering for fresh meat as soon as they peeked into their sorry lives? Or did they simply evaporated into nothingness, leaving nothing but a faint memory, a blur of what they might have looked like?” Terrianis approached him with slow steps, took a deliberate break between each question until he stood imposingly over Albron, with a cold yet mockingly kind glare aimed at his own child from a mother whose face he still remembered.
“The first two My Majesty. We found no residue, only a strange inscription that when inspected, altered my men into strange beasts straight out from a nightmare.” Albron took a deep breath and said, meeting his father’s mocking gaze.
“We see. That was certainly unexpected. Seems the enemy truly prepared about our measures.” Terrianis suddenly disappeared only to reappear above the lake with his legs crossed. His eyes slowly closed as he inhaled a handful of the air and maghia particles floating unseen.
“Regarding the New Dawn infiltrators, we found the one who accompanied Sister. Do you wish us to apprehend him?” For a few moments, uncertainty gripped his heart then decided to voice it out.
“Not necessary. Two died, that is enough of a repayment for the small loss they incurred against the Order’s inquisitoriir.” He answered while his lids remained closed, his eyes under them moved around constantly giving an eerie picture to Albron standing a few meters away.
“And what about Aurelithae? Shouldn’t we stop her before anything happens to her?” Halfway through his bow, Albron stopped and sounded his question that pushed his heart.
“No.” As soon as he said that single word, the gate opened up. Albron’s expression remained calm as he faced the floor. Without saying a word, he left the throne room feeling satisfied…
