Along the walls of her room were a small table with two simple wooden chairs and a wardrobe. Colorful tapestries decorated the walls, depicting various scenes from mythology and folklore; some of them she recognized, others she did not. One of the scenes showed a triad of cloaked figures, one brown, one red, and one white, extending their arms to a massive egg with a dragon bursting out of it, spreading its wings and breathing fire to the sky. On the floor, a spiraling woven rug covered the otherwise bare stone, with alternating shades of brown, tan, and amber creating interesting patterns throughout its thick fibers.
Reluctantly, she returned to the main chamber, waiting next to the door until she heard footsteps. There was a light knock, and Amethyst pulled open the door to see Nasrin. The young woman greeted her with a broad smile, pearly white teeth showing. “Are you ready for your tour of the Citadel?”
“I am,” she said, warming to the girl immediately. “I have never been in a place like this before.”
“There are no other places like this in the world! Let's start at the study, where you came in.”
Nasrin led her up the stairs and through the halls, into the lighter sandstone part of the structure. When they re-entered the study, they stopped in the doorway as Nasrin pointed out the various parts of the room.
“Here is where most of the research in the Citadel is done, outside of each Master's private collection, of course. You will find endless volumes here on the histories of Erde, from all the lands from which we hail. If it was a book written on this continent, there is an excellent chance that we have a copy of it somewhere in this room.”
She pointed to a glass case prominently on display between two larger shelves. “We even have books recovered from the ruins of the great cities of the Burning Sands after the cataclysm that destroyed it so many thousands of years ago. They form the basis of what we have for records of the lands before the cataclysm.”
Turning back, Nasrin led Amethyst through the halls, pointing out various rooms and turns, such as the corridor that led to the kitchens, the servants' quarters, guest rooms, and the like. Amethyst had not seen any servants yet, so she asked Nasrin about them.
“Oh, we do have a small retinue of servants here,” she said, pausing for a moment outside the passage that led to their chambers, “mostly those who showed significant potential, but not enough to be considered for an apprenticeship. Most of them were selected by Master Farrokh and live here with us in exchange for assured health and safety. They never want for food, warmth, or security here in the Citadel.”
“But what do they do here? Master Giriraj has no servants in his stronghold. Well,” she said, correcting herself, “none save for me. Most of the necessary functions of the household seem to be run via magic. Does the Citadel not have the ability to do the same?”
“Oh, certainly it is within our power to automate most of the tasks that our servants complete,” said Nasrin, seeming to be pleased for the chance to converse, “but that is not the point of what the Citadel is for. Most of the Masters live in relative solitude, so when they come here, it is an opportunity for them to socialize, in a place where everyone is both understanding and accepting of our differences.”
Nasrin continued their tour through the citadel as she explained. “We could have an enchanted table that never ran out of whatever food we may want, but then we would have no use for the servants, and they would need to return to the mundane world, where they would be met with fear, hostility, hardship, and eventually persecution. Living here in the citadel spares them that. We apprentices still take care of most of the necessary tasks, such as caring directly for guests, most of the cleaning, and general maintenance of the Citadel, but the gray-robes handle the laundry and the cooking.”
Amethyst nodded. “That's a very kind thing to do.”
Nasrin smiled. “My master says that if one wishes to see a better world, one must actively try to improve it.” They turned off the main corridor and took a much wider passage that led to a large double door, rounded at the top to match the curve of the hallway. Pushing it open, Nasrin led Amethyst into a large round chamber, with a circular table surrounded by sixteen chairs. The table was a large ring, with the center left open to make room for a glass-cased firepot. A stone chimney extended down from the ceiling, with the glass connecting to it to keep any smoke from filling the chamber. It was then that Amethyst noticed that the cheery blaze in the middle of the room burned no fuel; no logs were consumed under the flames that heated the chamber.
She examined the lanterns that hung on the walls to illuminate the dining room, and saw no candles, only hovering flame. She was about to ask Nasrin about them when she saw the young woman smiling at her.
“All of the heating and lighting in the Citadel is the work of Master Titus. No trees need to be cut down and dried for our fires here; they all burn cleanly and with little smoke. You will find that is the case throughout the entirety of the Citadel – there is very little that is consumed here. We are a self-sufficient bastion of comfort in the Far North.”
Amethyst was impressed. “Is this where we will be taking our meals?”
“If your master so chooses, yes. If he wishes to eat in solitude, then you can come here to fetch food for him and yourself. Three meals a day are provided, and all we ask is that you return any platters, plates, bowls or goblets to this chamber for the gray-robes to gather.”
“I will be sure to do so,” said Amethyst as they left the chamber.
Their next stop was at the bath chamber. At the end of a long hallway, passages on either side turned sharply back in the direction she had come, smelling strongly of oranges and lavender
“These corridors lead to the bath, which is unrivaled in any land,” Nasrin said. “It is heated and filled with mineral water from the hot springs far below, and has restorative properties. The only ones allowed in this chamber are the Masters, their apprentices, and their guests; you will never find a gray-robe in here, so do not worry about your privacy.” She gestured to the passages on either side of the hall. “Each of these passages leads to a room where one can clean themselves before they enter the bath, so as to keep the water pure. Most Masters are washed by their apprentices before entering, as well as any guests that accompany them. You will, of course, wash yourself.”
Amethyst nodded. “Of course. My master often requests that I assist him in his bath.”
Nasrin chuckled. “Mine as well. This bath, however, is not for washing as much as it is for relaxation and rejuvenation. The waters here have been said to have healing properties. Many of our masters, including your own, have been known to spend time soaking in this pool. Ceara seems to be particularly fond of it.”
“I will keep that in mind,” said Amethyst as they started back up the hall.
“Now, each of the Masters has their own chambers here in the Citadel,” Nasrin was saying as they neared the stairs that led to Giriraj's chambers. “Each of them is private, and under the complete control of their respective Master; nobody may enter without that Master's express permission. Giriraj's, as an example, is at the lowest level of the building, under the kitchens, dining room, and so on. Helena, the Master of Creation, has a wing off the north side that has a wonderful garden inside of a greenhouse. Master Ceara has a captive waterfall in her entry chamber that is absolutely breathtaking, while Master Titus has thousands of dancing flames behind stained glass.” She shook her head, a hint of awe in her voice. “I have seen him make the fire take on the shape of a woman and perform a dance for us. I have never seen its like before or since.”
“I would very much like to see that someday!”
They arrived at the door to Giriraj's chambers, and Nasrin stopped, tucking her hands into her sleeves. “That is something you would need to request directly from the other Masters, of course, but I do hope you get the opportunity!” She inclined her head towards the entrance. “We have returned to your master's place in the Citadel. If you have any questions about how to find
your way around the building, all you must do is call my name, and if I am not busy serving my master, I will find you and answer any questions you may have.”
“Thank you, Nasrin,” said Amethyst, smiling up at her. “I am very pleased to have met you.”
Nasrin bowed slightly. “And I you. I look forward to serving our respective masters together.”
As Nasrin turned away, Amethyst slipped through the door to Giriraj's chambers, closing it behind her. She looked over to Giriraj's chamber doors and saw that they were still sealed shut. She sighed, looking around the large central chamber, not really knowing what to do with herself.
Perusing the bookshelves, Amethyst looked for something interesting to read to pass the time. Picking up a few tomes, she flipped through their pages before putting them back. She came across a book written in the language of the Burning Sands. While she could not read it as swiftly as Elvish, Northlander, or the common tongue of Lonwick, she could still make her way through it with minimal difficulty.
The book had no title on the cover, instead bearing an embossed depiction of two lovers, their limbs intertwined in an intimate embrace. Curious, she opened the book and was greeted by a very detailed drawing of a woman pleasuring a man while he lay on his back. The accompanying text spoke of different techniques and uses of a woman's body, specifically her mouth, to bring a man to climax, and things that the man could do to make it easier and more pleasurable for her, such as adjusting his diet or fasting.
She raised her eyebrows, flipping to the next page, She had come across a book like this once before, in the library of Castle Lonwick ten or fifteen years earlier, but a priest had caught her reading it and taken it away. She had never seen it again and assumed they had moved it from the library or destroyed it. What she had seen of it had been much less exotic than the pictures in this book, that much was certain.
She paused, glancing at Giriraj's door again, then closed the book and took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. Eventually, she would need to fulfill her duties with him, and when that time came, she wanted to be prepared.
She carried the book into her chamber and secreted it under her pillow. While she knew that Giriraj would not be upset with her for borrowing the book, it was an awkward subject, and frankly, she wanted to be able to read it without him thinking that she was hinting that she was ready. She would prefer to do so privately and discreetly.
Instead, she went to the bookshelves and found a volume on crystal formation and transmutation theory. It was interesting enough, and soon she had all but forgotten about the book she had hidden under her pillow.
By the time Giriraj's door opened, Amethyst was seated in front of a workbench, huddled over a piece of limestone she had found. Her hands were outstretched on either side of the stone, with the book open next to her. She was focusing energy into the limestone, concentrating so intently that she didn't notice Giriraj coming up behind her. She was trying to transmute the material into marble, but couldn't seem to increase the heat of the stone enough to cause the change.
“It helps if you soak the limestone in seawater first,” said Giriraj, startling her. “It is on the ocean floor that limestone becomes marble, so I find it to be helpful to mimic the environment in which marble is created.”
Amethyst nodded. “That makes sense. I felt like I almost had it, but there was just something between me and the last little push.”
Smiling Giriraj set his hand on her shoulder. “You will get it soon, I have no doubt. Ritual work will make it easier, as you can draw more from other sources, and indeed other elements, but now is not the time for it. Come, we must go to the evening meal. The last of the Masters arrived this afternoon, so we should all be there.”
Amethyst stood, disappointed and frustrated with her experiment. The book had made it seem like an easy change; just apply energy to limestone and picture marble and you would get marble, plain as that. “Yes, Giriraj,” she said, leaving the book sitting on the workbench next to the limestone. He opened the door leading to the rest of the Citadel, and she followed him to the dining chamber.
~~~
Giriraj sat in front of his empty plate, holding a goblet of wine. Amethyst had never seen him drink anything other than water before, so it struck her as a bit out of the ordinary, but she figured it just had to do with the change of locale. She took a goblet of wine as well, though she didn't much care for the taste.
Dinner had been, as promised, a deliciously tender corned beef roast, with a half dozen different kinds of sliced bread and enough butter to drown the Lonwick Valley. She saw the gray-robes for the first time, dressed in clothing almost identical to hers, except for the slate gray color and the hood that extended up over their heads. They also wore a cap under the hoods that covered their hair, making it difficult to distinguish between them, as their faces were only very briefly visible, and they all seemed to be of very similar height and build. It was as if their entire image were crafted to be as forgettable as possible.
To her left sat Giriraj, and next to him was an ancient woman in green robes. Her apprentice – a young man with fair skin and neatly trimmed blonde hair – helped her to her seat before taking his own. He seemed very confident and comfortable here at the Citadel and went about his business serving and assisting his master however he was needed.
Beyond the green-robed apprentice sat Ceara and Eamon, followed by Farrokh and Nasrin, then two people in white robes, directly across from her and Giriraj. These two must have been Cedric, the Master of Air, and his apprentice. She was an older woman, though still with an air of youthfulness about her, her long, silvery hair bound up in a tight braid. Amethyst wondered if she knew that her husband was going to be murdered by the man sitting to her left.
That man was Adrik, and he looked just as unpleasant as he had sounded. Balding, overweight, with a near constant sneer on his face, his demeanor was as nasty as his words back on Mount Stromgard. He sat alone, with no apprentice at his side, but the way he kept watching Amethyst made her uncomfortable. She couldn't wait to be out of his gaze.
Beside Adrik sat a tall, very muscular man with an equally athletic woman at his side. His skin was bronzed, as if he spent a lot of time in the sun, with golden blonde hair, while the woman with him had hair the same shade as her crimson robes. This was the Master of Fire – Titus, as she had heard his name – and his apprentice.
The final pair was two men, each wearing yellow robes. They sat in their seats, never looking up, eating their entire meal in silence, as if there was nobody else in the room at all. These were the Master of Chaos and his apprentice, though Amethyst could not remember hearing their names.
When everyone had finished eating, Farrokh stood up and addressed them all.
“As you know, we have all been gathered here today concerning the growing threat to the south of Lonwick. Master Helena has reported a fluctuation in the balance of power between herself and Master Adrik, which means that there is likely a connection to the Abyss being created.”
Farrokh paused, letting his words sink in. “This also means that we need to make a decision as to how to act, or if we act at all. Lonwick may very well be in danger, but we hold no particular position in Lonwick, so it is not really our concern. What is our concern, however, is maintaining the balance. Master Helena, would you be able to tell us what you have sensed in the last several months?”
The ancient, gnarled woman slowly rose from her seat, pushing herself up on a cane. “Several months ago, I felt a dip in the forces of Creation, far to the south.” She was very old, and her voice showed it, but it also possessed a power that Amethyst had not expected. “I am aware that those regions still echo with the trauma of the cataclysm, even these four thousand, three hundred years later, but the drop did not correct itself, as it normally does.”
She spread her hands. “Here, my power is as strong as it has ever been. For those of you who bear gifts from me or my predecessors, they will continue to provide you with fo
od and herbs for now. But the farther south one travels, the more you will see blights afflicting the crops, calves stillborn, or born with deformities. If we do not act, this may spread to the sentient creatures as well. Men, elves, dwarves, even ogres, orcs, and trolls.” She shook her head, leaning against the table. “What monstrous creatures would be born from an ogre steeped in the energies of the Abyss?”
“We don't know that it's from the Abyss,” Adrik said, his accented words scornful. “As you say, that region is known for its fluctuations. I have not felt my power increase significantly. Perhaps the old woman is losing her senses.”
Helena scowled. “Your power is diminished from the loss of your apprentice, Adrik. We all know how much Drakhus bolstered you. If you have felt an increase at all, that is a sure sign of the shift.”
“We all know how much you fear death,” Adrik hissed, interrupting her, “but your fear does not necessitate the upsetting of the balance. Examine the scales, you will see they are even. If we were to interfere with the natural order, then my element would decline and yours would prosper.” He spread his hands, shrugging. “So what if some elf brats are born dead? What difference does it make if there are mutated ogres in the south? The cycle continues.”
“It matters,” Helena said, thumping her gnarled fist against the table, “because any fool can see that the natural cycle should put you in decline. I believe you are fostering an increase in your element for your own gain.”
“And I believe that the decades have finally addled your wits, crone,” snapped Adrik. “If you think any member of this council is blind to your obvious power grab, then maybe you're farther gone than even I expected.”
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