by H. R. Moore
After her brief encounter with the Descendants, Anita felt like a wound spring. She was angry at herself for her uncontrollable and embarrassing energy, and Alexander’s cryptic comment about her being an asset had left her feeling vulnerable. She didn’t understand why they were here, but the whole thing had left her deeply unsettled. Anita felt out of control and she didn’t like it.
She ran for miles along the river, her long muscular legs eating up the ground. The shallow, meandering water usually took her mind off whatever she was preoccupied with, but today it was no help. She ran faster and faster, but this just seemed to make it worse. She was more frustrated by the end than she had been at the beginning and by the time she got to the Observatory she was in a foul mood.
*****
‘So are you going to ask her?’ Patrick, Bas’ runtish lab assistant, with floppy brown hair, blotchy, almost translucent skin and exceptionally bad fashion sense – although he obviously thought he was the height of cool – had been probing about this for weeks.
‘Maybe,’ Bas replied, feigning exasperation, but he was fooling no-one, least of all Patrick. Patrick, like everyone else, saw the way Bas looked at Anita and knew there was nothing Bas wanted more than for her to want him too. Patrick, frankly, had always thought Bas was crazy. He could have his pick of any other girl in Empire and it wasn’t like they didn’t throw themselves at him (much to Patrick’s annoyance), but Bas only had eyes for Anita. He just didn’t get it; Anita was alright he supposed, she was quite good looking, had a cracking body – if you liked the toned, athletic, slightly menacing look – but she was unpredictable and stubborn, she did not suffer fools and was used to winning everything. In truth Patrick found Anita intimidating and unfathomable. Maybe that’s what the attraction was, that she was mysterious.
A light started flashing on the dashboard in front of Bas, indicating there was a spike in the energy in the immediate vicinity. The Observatory usually used this measure to keep tabs on when a Descendant was coming, but strangely Anita had the same effect; her energy was so strong that it set off the alarm. Patrick saw the light too. ‘Well, now’s your chance to maybe ask her. I’ll make myself scarce. See you at The Island later.’
‘Hi Patrick,’ said Anita as she clunked up the metal spiral staircase into the room. Anita had no idea why Patrick always seemed to be leaving just as she arrived. Obviously she knew why he was going, Cleo and Patrick really should compare notes, but how was his timing always so impeccable?
‘Hi Anita,’ he replied sensing her bad mood, which made him both doubly glad he was leaving and a little sorry for Bas, ‘I’m just off to The Island. See you there later?’
‘Yep, sure,’ she said in a terse voice; the last thing Anita wanted at the moment was to be left alone with Bas. Patrick turned and grabbed hold of the express exit, a pole through the floor and winked annoyingly at Bas as he slid out of view.
The Observatory was an incredible building. It had been commissioned by the Descendants four generations back, as they had wanted to keep tabs on the energy. Bas’ family, who had been in charge of the Archives for centuries and were known for their study of the energy, had helped design the building. They were put in charge of research from the start, earning Bas’ ancestor a position as a Councillor, a position his father now held and that Bas would hold in the future. The building was over three levels, downstairs was a large, perfectly round, midnight blue pool of water that was always eerily still as it helped to absorb any background energy ‘noise’. The middle level contained all the dashboards that provided readings of energy levels in various locations around the world, gently humming as it processed the energy flows, dials whishing backwards and forwards and lights flashing in a way that would seem meaningless to the uninitiated. The top floor contained the instruments that actually recorded the energy waves; this level was Anita’s favourite. There were multiple instruments up there, each trained in a different direction and all with golden receiver dishes attached that were shaped like the energy waves themselves. The receivers were of various sizes so they could pick up different frequencies of energy from different distances, with the biggest so large it had to rest on the floor of the roof. Anita loved to lie on this one and stare up at the stars, feeling the large, lolloping energy waves reverberating through her and off to be recorded in the dashboards downstairs. Of course this affected the readings, so Bas wouldn’t let her do that at a time like this, but she climbed to the roof anyway to look out over Empire.
Empire had a certain regal look about it, sort of understated yet effortlessly elegant. It was balanced, embraced and contained by the docile looking river, with several beautiful, arched red brick bridges stretching across the meandering waters to connect the wealthy centre to the other side; these less desirable areas hidden from view from the Observatory by the baulk of the town. The centre of Empire spanned an area about the size of a square mile, built in an era before anyone saw a need to put walls up, the imposing spires of the Temples dominating the sky line, seeming to watch over and protect the buildings around them. Surrounding the Temples sat a number of well to do areas with fully stocked food markets, jewellery shops, clothes shops, perfumers, stationers, restaurants always serving an array of new and fantastical concoctions, and then of course the lovely, large, red brick houses with eccentric gardens full of climbing plants that seemed perfectly at one with their overstated owners. The most desirable houses, lived in generally by Councillors, along with properties owned by the Descendants themselves, tended to sit on the outskirts of town or in the surrounding countryside. They usually sat atop imposing hills or nestled on the side of one of the ancient woodlands, all gloriously picturesque, secluded and with spectacular views.
Empire had once been the world’s premier city, where trade was done and Gods were worshiped, however Kingdom, a much more impressive, imposing metropolis had long since claimed that title. Empire now felt like it was in retirement, basking in previous honours and glories, living out a dignified and well thought of old age.
‘I’ll never get tired of that view,’ said Bas coming through the window to the roof behind Anita and nodding towards the lit up town. ‘I like it best at night.’ Anita moved slightly further onto the roof so Bas wasn’t standing quite so close and sat down on one of the pipes that connected the receivers to the dashboards downstairs.
Bas stood easily, leaning against one of the receiver dishes and Anita appraised him as he struggled with some kind of internal debate; the muscles around his mouth clenched uncharacteristically and a tension filling his torso and powerful arms. ‘So, are you going to the ball?’ he blurted out quickly, trying to make throwing caution to the wind sound as casual as possible. Anita turned away so she could hide the look on her face. The only light on the roof came from inside, so she hoped Bas couldn’t see.
‘No, I don’t think so,’ Anita swiftly replied. ‘The ball isn’t really my thing. Sucking up to the Councillors, watching everyone make idiots of themselves in front of the Descendants, having to pretend to fawn over every word they say. It isn’t really my scene.’
‘Oh,’ Bas replied, his energy immediately tumbling. Anita felt bad, maybe she had gone too far, Bas was after all going to be a Councillor one day, but there was nothing she wanted less than to go to the ball with Bas and she wasn’t very good in situations like this. Aside from the obvious, that it would give him the wrong impression, the last thing she wanted was for every girl in town to hate her. People already thought she was weird for winning all the challenges, she didn’t want to be loathed too.
‘Found anything new with the energy?’ Anita hoped the change of subject would lift Bas’ mood.
‘No, nothing yet. There was a small down shift when the announcement was made about Philip’s death, but it seems to have come back up again. I’m expecting Alexander’s Crowning to lift the energy further, it’s always exciting to have a new ruling Descendant.’ Philip, Alexander’s grandfather had recently died and a high profile death was
always a cause for concern around the energy. ‘It’s Christiana’s death I’m really worried about, what with the unconventional bloodline situation.’
‘Well hopefully we won’t have to worry about that for a while. We Body types are generally stronger than we look.’ She shot Bas a smile that was supposed to at the same time say ‘sorry’ and ‘chin up’, but she wasn’t sure that was quite how he took it.
Bas smiled optimistically. ‘I know. I am one aren’t I? Shall we go?’
*****
The Island was nothing more than a shack really, strips of wood thrown precariously together decades before to form a building initially intended as a warehouse for traded goods. Since then it had been embellished inside and was now laid out over two levels, a short, stubby bar on the lower level to the right, bottles of all kinds of mysterious looking liquids balancing perilously on the uneven shelves behind. This level also had a private room behind the bar, ample space for standing, a couple of tall tables, and ledges here and there to place drinks on. One of these ledges jutted out awkwardly, partially obstructing a shady looking passage to the back door, wooden decking and benches overlooking the river beyond. To the left of the door were a set of three squeaky wooden steps that groaned agedly every time a pair of feet touched them. They led to a raised seating area with a series of booths and rough wooden tables affording varying degrees of privacy, the walls adorned with weird and wonderful trinkets from those who had ventured into the Wild Lands to trade.
The place was packed. Clearly the news that the Descendants were in town had spread like wildfire and everyone wanted to know why. Luckily, Cleo had grabbed a booth when her shift had ended and Bas and Anita pushed their way through the crowd to join her. ‘Before we get into the gossip, let me get you a drink,’ said an overzealous Cleo by way of a greeting. She flagged down one of the other bar tenders and ordered a bottle of Ginger Champagne.
‘What are we celebrating?’ asked Bas surprised. Ginger Champagne was pretty rare and usually only saved for special occasions. Luckily, being friends with the owner’s favourite bar tender and only daughter meant they never had to pay for such luxuries, but still, this was an extravagant move.
‘We are celebrating my brilliance at extracting the gossip that I am about to tell you from one of the Councillors,’ Cleo replied eagerly, carefully annunciating each word to make sure they could all hear and therefore marvel at her achievement. Three glasses were placed on the table and filled with champagne.
‘The gossip mill comes up trumps again,’ Anita commented attentively, wishing that Cleo would just get on with it, but knowing there wasn’t the remotest chance of that. She noted that the promise of gossip seemed to lift her mood a little however.
‘Indeed it does,’ Cleo took a moment to build some suspense, savouring the attention that was now being paid to her before beginning her story. ‘So, we know so far that the ruling Spirit Descendant passed away a couple of weeks ago, meaning that Alexander, Philip’s grandson will succeed to the throne soon. We also know that Christiana, the ruling Body Descendant, is getting on a bit.’ Cleo paused, the silence pregnant. ‘What we didn’t know until tonight, is that Christiana is more than getting on a bit,’ she took a deep breath, ‘she’s dying.’
‘What?’ Bas and Anita blurted out together.
‘That is very likely to have a significant effect on the energy,’ said Bas, livid. ‘They have got to prepare people for news like that.’
‘But why would the Descendants all come here if Christiana is dying?’ asked Anita.
Cleo looked smug. ‘Why indeed?’
‘Cleopatra, we know you’re brilliant and for that we are eternally grateful, but we’re dying over here. The suspense is literally killing us.’
‘Alright, alright. They’ve brought Christiana here to die. There is something here she wants to make peace with before she goes, but nobody knows what it is. All they know is that she is currently on her death bed below the Temple of the Body and that Austin is fuming about the whole thing.’ Austin, Marcus’ father, the ruling Mind Descendant, had a reputation for being venomous. He, as with most Minds, thought himself superior to everyone, including the other Descendants, so it wasn’t surprising that he was cross at having to be in Empire at the whim of another.
‘They’re going to hold the Chase, the Crowning and the ball here instead of in Kingdom. They’re going to hold off for a couple of weeks, as the likelihood is it’ll be a double Crowning with Peter succeeding Christiana.’
‘They’re going to let him rule?’ asked Bas. ‘Surely it would make more sense to pass straight to Gwyneth?’
‘Nobody knows if either of them is eligible to rule, given that Christiana has no direct female heir. The bloodline could be broken anyway and the prophecy could already be dead,’ Anita chipped in trying to take in the magnitude of what she had just heard.
‘Well Gwyn certainly doesn’t act like it’s dead, given the way she was strutting across the Temple earlier,’ Cleo retorted indignantly.
‘So they’re having the Crowning here? But where will it take place if not by the relic?’ asked Bas.
The three Temples were always built as triangles, with three tips, one from each Temple, meeting at a point in the middle. In Kingdom, the main parts of the Grand Temples were open to everyone, had a central triangular section that Descendants only were allowed to use, and the joined tips, which housed the relic, were also open for everyone to visit. Crownings usually took place by the relic, so everyone could see them, but in Empire the layout was slightly different. The Temples were open to everyone, but underneath each Temple were chambers that only the Descendants were allowed to use. Underneath the joined tips was a sacred area, but nobody apart from the Descendants and a few select Councillors were allowed to know what was there. The area of the joined tips was closed off to everyone but the Councillors, who used the hexagonal chamber inside to host Council meetings when in Empire.
‘The rumour is that most of each Crowning will take place in the public centre of the relevant Temple. The Descendants will then go to the sacred centre underneath the tips to perform some part of the ritual and then will come back up to complete the ceremony.’ Cleo really had excelled herself this time.
‘And the Chase? Where and when will that take place?’ Anita asked as offhandedly as she could.
Cleo and Bas smiled. ‘Bet you can’t wait to get your teeth stuck into that one,’ said Bas. ‘See if you can’t beat the Descendants.’
Luckily at that moment there was a ruckus across the bar and Anita took the distraction as an opportunity to evade a ribbing and head to the bathroom. But what Cleo had failed to mention was that the young Descendants had been in the back room of the bar; the commotion a result of them deciding to leave. Anita found herself trapped in the middle of their path to the door; a mass of bodies had closed ranks behind her to gawp at the Descendants as they passed, she couldn’t go back the way she had come and she couldn’t go forwards or she would run right into them, there was nothing she could do to avoid them apart from duck her head and try to be inconspicuous.
Gwyneth came first. Cleo was right, she did have flowing golden locks, her long blond hair seemed to glimmer in the light. She was tall and thin, unpleasantly thin. Her floor length silk dress and red cloak made her look the part, but she had the air of someone trying just a little bit too hard and she wasn’t that pretty, her nose was just a bit too long and eyes set a little too close together. Gwyn walked past Anita without so much as glancing in her direction. Unfortunately, the same luck was not to be had with the next Descendant, Alexander. As soon as she saw him her energy lifted. Anita did everything she could to try and supress it, but Alexander’s head turned slowly, carefully, so he could see where the energy was coming from. Here we go again, thought Anita, desperately trying to curb her energy, his piercing blue eyes looked down at her, this time only a meter away. He didn’t say a thing, doing nothing but looking intensely into her eyes. She held his gaze and wished
she knew what he was thinking, but his expression gave nothing away. People had started to turn and watch them now, but Anita was determined not to break first. He might have an effect on her, but she wasn’t going to let every victory be his. By now, Marcus, who had been talking to a couple of Councillors at the bar, had noticed something was going on and sauntered over to see what was happening. Alexander felt him coming and moved on, following Gwyn out of the bar.
‘Well that was interesting,’ Marcus drawled, standing very close and looking down at her with flirty eyes. He smelt of soft vanilla and as it wafted over her, she inhaled greedily, momentarily disorientated as her pulse reacted, quickening, her energy singing, colour rising to her cheeks. She told herself to snap out of it, exhaling sharply, trying to get a handle on her out of control emotions. ‘Alexander doesn’t usually deign to interact with anybody. And even if he didn’t talk to you, I would call that an interaction, wouldn’t you?’
‘I’m not entirely sure what I would call it really, other than weird,’ Anita shot back, a little too sharply.
Marcus smiled. It wasn’t every day a girl spoke to him like that. ‘We’re heading back to my family’s residence just outside of town. Why don’t you join us?’ Anita recognised a challenge when she saw one, and this was most definitely a challenge. If she knew anything, she knew she did not want to take on the Descendants all at once, and certainly not on their territory. If Anita had had a social climbing mother, what she was about to do would be cause for disinheritance, but seeing as she didn’t, and that to Anita winning was more important, she had to say no.
