by Pedro Urvi
Ariadne could not tell whether he was laughing at the Prince-Heir of the House of Fire. Probably not. No, of course not, she must have misunderstood the comment.
“But why is he going to make them fight? They are slaves…”
“For the sake of the show. Look at all those spectators.” He waved at the guests, who were taking their places along the round balcony to watch the entertainment. They carried drinks in glasses of the finest crystal and were chatting animatedly with each other. “They are anxious to watch the slave fight. As soon as the first blood is shed, they will go mad with enthusiasm.”
Ariadne said nothing and lowered her gaze.
“Let the show begin!” Asu ordered, and went to stand in his place of honor. With him were two noblemen and several beautiful women: courtesans, no doubt. But what left Ariadne speechless was seeing who the guest of honor was. The information Sormacus had picked up was good. Next to the Prince of Fire stood none other than Aize, the Prince-Heir of the House of Air. The fact that Asu should have thrown a party was not unusual, but that he should do so in honor of the prince of a rival house certainly was: very much so. Did the two High Kings know that their heirs were enjoying themselves together? Ariadne doubted it very much. Whatever the two royal princes were going to plot that evening would be deeply significant. They needed to find out what it was so as to be prepared.
The two warriors hurled themselves into the attack. Erre was right: as soon as the first blood was shed, the Nobles went mad, shouting and cheering their favorite. The fight was short and brutal. The giant struck several blows with sword and shield, which his opponent dodged by rolling on the floor. Ariadne thought the poor wretch had no chance against that mountain of muscle, but she was completely mistaken. The green-skinned man moved with the agility of a monkey, then in a totally unexpected move climbed onto the giant’s back. Before the giant was able to dislodge him, his adversary was already cutting his throat. He collapsed like a felled tree.
The spectators were as surprised as Ariadne. They broke out in cheers and applause.
“Surprising, would you not say?” Asu asked the audience as he enjoyed the success of the fight among his guests.
This first fight was followed by half a dozen more, with opponents of different races, sizes and fighting skills. Ariadne endured as best she could this horrible spectacle of meaningless death. Warriors of the five Boundaries filed by, and even some of other races she did not know. Where had Asu found these men? The great continent was vast and mostly unexplored. Asu presumably had scouts looking for new slaves. And when at last the Prince of Fire put an end to the fights and Ariadne thought she could be free from of the unease in her stomach, something even more horrendous happened.
Their host strutted about with chin high and arms outspread, receiving the applause of his guests. “And now, my dear guests! The main course of our party!” he announced. He made a sign to his Custodians, who put the winners of the fights back into the cage. Ariadne thought he was going to make them fight among themselves all over again, but she was wrong. Asu had prepared something far more macabre and cruel. They placed the fighters against one side of the cage, then the Custodians went out.
Asu laughed. “Bring my little friends!”
“Little friends?” Ariadne asked Lord Erre.
“You will see what he means presently…”
Suddenly three mammoth beasts entered the opposite side of the cage, roaring furiously. They looked like lions, their heads at least, but their bodies were the size of large horses. And what left Ariadne petrified was seeing that they had wings, like those of a great eagle. What were those nightmare beasts?
“Oh no!” she cried.
“Do not worry, they cannot reach us up here, their wings do not allow them to fly. At least not yet. It is one of the “species” my cousin and his Erudites are developing in their laboratories.”
“Species?”
“Animal hybrids. I do not understand Asu’s fascination with creating those…”
“Monstrosities?”
“I was going to say freaks, but I suppose “monstrosities” is appropriate enough. It is something he has a passion for. The bigger and more lethal they are, the prouder he feels. They have carried out endless experiments, and from what I understand they are not the only ones. The word is that Lur, Prince of Earth and a personal friend of Asu’s, shares this passion, and they are both competing to see who can develop the most powerful species.”
Ariadne was unable to contain herself. “It is a crime against Mother Nature,” she said, and regretted it at once.
“It might be, I do not deny it. And the worst thing is that afterwards they set them loose on the continent to see how the other animals react to them and whether or not they can survive in the wild.”
“That is appalling.”
Erre shrugged. “Well, my cousin has these quirks.”
“Who will win? Slaves or beasts?” Asu asked his audience, who were already shouting and cheering in a frenzy. “Let us see.” He pointed his finger and sent a flash of fire against the floor behind the beasts. When they saw it they leapt forward. The warriors saw them coming at them and attacked in return. The cries of the slaves and the roars of the beasts filled the cage and rose through the amphitheater to its domed ceiling. Ariadne did not want to see the bloodbath. In a few moments it was over. The dismembered bodies of the slaves lay scattered across the marble, with blood spattered all over the hall. Two of the beasts had perished, but a third one remained alive and triumphant.
“And the victory goes to my beasts!” Asu proclaimed exultantly. The audience was enjoying the show and applauding furiously.
Ariadne could not look. She was ready to throw up. She turned to Lord Erre, intending to get rid of the nobleman, at least for a moment, so that she could recover. “Now I would accept that drink,” she said,
“Oh, wonderful. I do believe it will do you good, after the “show””, he said with a smile, and went away toward the servants in the other room. Ariadne seized the chance to get a good look at her target. Asu was gesturing and boasting before his guest of honor, while the people applauded and cheered their host. Asu, full of false modesty, acknowledged the compliments of his guests. She felt her stomach turning again. This creature was pure falsehood and horror.
The two Princes left the amphitheater, commenting on the events of the show, and climbed the red marble stairs to the floor above. Ariadne wanted to follow them, but when she saw the line of soldiers posted along the walls, on the stairs as well as the upper floor, she changed her mind. Besides, it would look suspicious for a Commoner to go upstairs unaccompanied.
“I see there are other, more powerful, Lords who interest you more than I do,” Erre said behind her.
Ariadne turned to the nobleman. “No, it is not that at all,” she replied. She saw him smiling as he offered her the drink.
“It is natural enough. They are Princes, I am simply another nobleman.”
“And I a mere Commoner.”
There was another moment of silence. They stared at one another, each trying to read the other’s intentions.
“You might be of the Common caste, but let me assure you that noting in you is common. On the contrary, you are quite exceptional.”
His words left her without any defense. She blushed again, not knowing what to do. He smiled.
“Let us drink a toast,” he said, and raised his glass of blue elixir.
Ariadne raised her own.
“To us,” he said.
“To us,” she repeated, and they drank. As she did so she looked up toward the upper floor and saw Asu going into a studio together with his guest. She had to warn Adamis, and quickly, but the constant presence of the nobleman prevented her. She took two long sips. She had to improvise something.
“Be careful,” he warned her. “These exotic drinks can make you lose your head.”
And that gave her the excuse she needed. She took another sip, then took a deep breat
h. She waited a moment, then put her hand to her forehead and pretended her legs would not hold her up.
Erre held her by the waist with one hand. “Do you feel all right?” he asked in concern.
“Yes… you were right, I am not used to this. Would you bring me something to eat? It might make my stomach feel better…”
“Of course. I will be back at once.”
Ariadne straightened up as soon as he had gone, and seeing his back retreating, she held the pearl from her necklace between her fingers. She activated a small fraction of her Power, directed it at the pearl and whispered her message.
“They are going towards a room on the second floor. I cannot follow them, there are guards everywhere. Try to get there from outside.”
Her warning reached Adamis clearly. He was not surprised. It was becoming clearer to him all the time that the Children of Arutan were remarkably skilled at charming objects. He did not understand how they could do it, and he was glad, because their enemies would not be expecting anything of the kind. A disc could raise suspicion, while using the Power openly would be extremely dangerous in a hostile environment. But a pearl: who would suspect a pearl? He moved along the roof, among several Warrior-Gods. They did not notice the strange presence of the mist on the roof. He reached the edge and checked the height. The building was four stories high. The lowest level was where the shows were taking place. The guests were amusing themselves on the second floor, the third housed private studios and chambers, the fourth bedrooms and other suites. He let himself down from the roof to the fourth floor and watched. A light went on in one of the middle rooms, with a great balcony in the shape of a half-moon. It was so wide it seemed to be a viewpoint over the gardens. That is where it must be. Carefully, he moved closer until he was immediately above it. There was nobody on the balcony; they were all inside.
He concentrated and sent a thread of his Power inside so as to find out who was there. He picked up the conversation that was taking place and drew back the thread so as not to be detected.
“Magnificent party, Asu,” Adamis heard, and knew it was Aize, the Prince of Air. He knew him well.
“I am glad that you are enjoying my little soirée” Asu said haughtily. Adamis felt his stomach burning at the thought of his enemy.
“I had heard that your parties were something worth witnessing, but I have only had the good fortune to be invited to those of your father, the High King.”
Asu smiled obliquely. “The game of politics… The High Kings are trying to keep up appearances by inviting the other Houses.”
“I have to say that their parties are not in the same league as this one…”
“My father and the other High Kings do not share my taste for spectacle and amusement. A pity, in my opinion. They are a bunch of stiff-necked old men, and it is their loss.”
“I was very surprised by this invitation, to me personally and not to my father.”
“So much so that you accepted it?” said Asu with a sneer.
“Yes: so intriguing that I just had to come and see what you are up to. Because you are up to something. You do not make a move behind your father’s back without a powerful reason.”
Asu smiled. A malicious smile. “Let us go out on to the balcony. We will be quieter there.”
The two Princes came out to breathe the warm night breeze. The Prince of Air was about to speak, but Asu raised his hand.
“Let us first check that we are alone.”
Aize nodded. They both closed their eyes and concentrated in order to use their Power.
Adamis grasped what was happening. He forced himself to close off his mind and hold back his own Power. But it would not be enough. I am too close! I will be found out! His nerves betrayed him, and he nearly slipped and fell. He held on as best he could to a projection on the roof. A painful cramp crept up his left arm. He cursed his bad luck silently, trying to rise above the pain.
Asu produced a wave of Power which expanded like a sphere in all directions. A moment later his guest did the same. Both waves were intended to pick up Power in the vicinity. Nothing would escape two royal Princes, from two of the most powerful families and strongest Houses, least of all the Power of a third and powerful Prince.
Both waves expanded, and in a moment they would reach Adamis. I am lost, he thought. And in that moment of panic he remembered Aruma’s gifts. He had the sword at his belt, but he was not wearing the strange ring. He took it from his belt, and a moment before the waves reached him he put it on his finger. He closed his eyes tightly and awaited the contact he feared. The waves reached him and went on expanding without making contact, without detecting his presence. Unbelievable! It works! He recalled the name Aruma had given the ring: the Chameleon Ring. It certainly was that. He had blended in with his environment and was undetectable. He breathed out heavily with relief.
Asu smiled falsely. “We are alone. We can chat like a couple of good friends.”
“Very well, let us talk.”
“I suppose you will have heard the latest news from the continent…”
“I have heard the rumors, yes.”
“Rumors? This is not a rumor, it is true. My spies have confirmed it.”
“I find it hard to believe.”
“Do not pretend, Aize. You know perfectly well it is true. First it was the Boundary of those incompetents of the House of the Fifth Ring. They lost their slaves in the revolt. That was something intolerable which ought to have been prevented by using the entire force of the Golden. Had it been in my hands I would have burnt them all, each and every one of those filthy slaves, and exterminated their race as an example. I assure you, that way this pestilent epidemic would have stopped at once. But nothing was done, and now this evil has spread to two more Boundaries, like a contagious plague.”
“The House of Water has lost its Boundary and fallen in disgrace. If it were not for its alliance with the House of Ether they would be finished.”
“But the protection offered them by the House of Ether will not last long. Protecting the weak makes you weak yourself. They will not support them indefinitely. It is simply bad business. They would go down with them. They will let them sink, then seek out other alliances.”
“True. Both Houses are weaker now, which favors us.”
“And in addition this plague in the form of the revolution of the slaves keeps spreading to the other Boundaries, and will reach that of Ether, if it has not already done so …If their Boundary falls, both Houses will be in a very feeble position, and let me assure you that my own House will take advantage of the situation.”
“And mine too.”
“Well, yours not so much…”
“What do you mean?”
Asu gave a triumphant smile. “I mean, you have already lost your Boundary,”
“Those are lies!” Aize protested.
“No, they are not, and you know it. But we are not here to argue about that.”
The Prince of Air relaxed. “We are not? Then why are we here?”
“To talk about an alliance.”
Aize took a deep breath. “What are you planning?”
“I am simply looking for an ally for my future plans.”
“Me?”
“Exactly.”
“Your House, the House of Fire, is allied with the House of Earth. The House of Water with the House of Ether. My House, that of Air, stays in the center, impartial, maintaining the balance. And so it must be.”
“That is what your Father the High King has taught you, and you, like a good little lap-dog Prince, repeat it.”
“How dare you!” Aize cried in outrage.
“I dare because times are changing. Because the power is tilting in my favor. Three Houses have already lost their Boundaries, and that of Ether will soon do so as well. Only my own House will maintain its Boundary and thus become the most powerful.”
“Only the High Kings can seal alliances, you know that as well as I do. Nothing of what we might agree upon
here tonight will have any value as long as we are not on the throne.”
Asu’s expression turned into one of sheer satisfaction. “Very well put.” He grinned from ear to ear.
Aize was not smiling. His eyes opened wide as he realized what Asu was really planning. “You are not thinking of going against the High Kings?”
“It is time to take the reins of our glorious civilization and lead it to a glorious future. But to do that we need strong leaders. The old kings are obsolete. They are weak, the slaves rebel and they do nothing, they are losing control. They are leading us into a future of war and destruction. The balance between the Houses is breaking down. Soon there will be bloodshed, as you know as well as I do. It is inevitable.”
“The High Kings have prevented it for over a thousand years.”
“Yes, but their time is coming to an end. Three weakened Houses, two strong ones: we are entering a state of great unbalance. Kings who are more concerned with prolonging their final days than with ruling, who do not decide, who do not take action… The war will start soon, believe me.”
“We can wait for them to abdicate in our favor.”
“Do you really want to take that risk? With your House weakened, without an alliance with any of the other four Houses? Your position is very awkward… I would say the most awkward of all, not to say desperate…”
The Prince of Air was about to deny the loss of his Boundary, but Asu cut him short.
“I am here to offer you my hand. Now, while you still have the choice. If you stay with your father and the Old Kings, your House will die, you yourself will die. I can assure you of that.” Asu’s threat was so convincing that even Adamis was certain that the House of Air would perish.
Aize was thoughtful for a long moment. “What are you offering me?”
Asu gave a victorious smile. “That is better. I am offering you an alliance. I can already count on the House of Earth. Prince Lurra and I are very good friends, as you know. If you join me, we will unite the three Houses, Fire, Earth and Air, and destroy the Houses of Water and Ether.”
