by Ian Everett
some sleep. You need to see the High Master.”
“Yes,” Ushuon sighed, “I suppose I do.” He turned to walk out of the room. He looked over his shoulder, throwing Jusong a strange glance. “Be careful what you dream.” With that he was gone.
Jusong was left standing there, unsure of what to call back. By the time he got out of his daze, Ushuon was long gone. “What… what was that supposed to mean?”
they twist and they turn and they tear and they reap where they do not sow
The next morning, Rhuikar personally woke Jusong up. “Get up, apprentice. We will be leaving in five minutes.”
Jusong rocketed out of his bed, throwing his robes on as quickly as possible. He brushed his hair quickly, smoothing it down. Rhuikar watched him quietly, saying nothing. He only nodded when Jusong presented himself before him.
The pair walked down the hallway around the central chamber, saying nothing to each other. The hallway was a little more packed with people as Brothers and Sisters made their way through the hall, looking for their rooms or for things to do. Some stopped to chat with each other, making plans or telling stories. Some even went in the same direction as Jusong and Rhuikar: towards the exit, to run errands in the Capitol.
The main gate, large, iron and ornate, was opened wide for all to pass in and out. It let into a simple foyer where rows of chairs faced a statue of an odd creature wrapped in fire. They did not let outsiders go in past this point.
“Is that really what He Who Basks In Flames looks like?” Jusong whispered to Rhuikar, who immediately burst into laughter.
“No, no, boy. That is simply an artist’s interpretation. The Gods have no physical form that mortals can comprehend or grasp.” He wiped a tear out of his eye, heavily amused at Jusong’s question. Jusong felt ashamed, hiding his blushing face from his master.
The pair went outside into the Capitol. The Temple was located on the southern edge of the large city. It was a huge place; buildings and palaces more ornate than forests and taller than mountains made up the center, while smaller but equally as grand houses and shops filled in the gaps and spilled out onto the plains surrounding the city. It was truly a hub of civilization, but one could expect no less from the Capital of the Empire, home of the Platinum Throne.
A tall building stood out just off the center of the city. It was rounded at the top, wider at its base than its peak. It was part stone and part glass, and green light constantly shone from inside. “There is the House of the Platinum Throne. The Council is meeting there with the Emperor.”
Jusong swallowed. He was going to be meeting the Emperor of the North. He had never thought he would even be apprentice to Rhuikar, let alone this. He followed the Old Brother through the city, marveling at his circumstances.
The city was crowded as usual, with people bustling around running on errands. Various men called out their wares on the side of streets; rugs, animals, and even one who sold only cabbage. Jusong would have felt lost had he not had Rhuikar to guide him. They traveled their way through the city, past the people, the horses, the men carrying carts and the children playing.
Before Jusong knew it, the House of the Platinum Throne loomed over them, a giant testimony to the might of the Empire.
“It was built long ago by the Commune. You know the Commune?” Rhuikar whispered, leaning over to Jusong.
“Those who worship He Who Sleeps In The Earth.”
“Yes. For a time, they had fought against the Empire, but when the Empire, along with our Brotherhood and its weaponry, brought them down, they offered it as a sign of peace, and have been friends to the Emperor ever since.” Rhuikar scowled with his last sentence.
They entered into the large building. Many people were gathered into the lobby, where they discussed politics and philosophy. Religion rarely came up; that was the domain of the Great Faith. There were men wearing odd clothing, women running around with serving cups and platters, dressed in lavish yet revealing dresses. Politics was a world completely foreign to Jusong, and he preferred to keep it that way.
Rhuikar led him towards a large door guarded by two men in intricate armor that made them look like insects. The armor Jusong knew to have been forged by the Brotherhood, for he had been into the store room and seen the armor they wore. It looked to have had work added on, as if the Emperor had also had other blacksmiths work on it, or had the Commune add stone reinforcements to the metal. Jusong sniffed in disdain at that possibility.
The guards let Rhuikar pass, nodding to him curtly as he walked by. The room inside was a stairwell, housing a circular set of stairs, wider than many of the halls back in the Temple. The pair walked up, up and up, and Jusong set about counting the number of stairs. When Rhuikar stopped him at the very top, he had long since passed a thousand and had given up counting.
“You must be quiet. I don’t want you to talk at all. You must do whatever I ask, but you only answer to me, or the Emperor. Am I understood?”
Jusong nodded his head quickly. Rhuikar led him to a door, large and ornate. He pulled it open and led Jusong in. Inside was a decently sized room, about the same as the Chamber of the Tree in the temple. It housed four chairs in a semicircle facing a larger, silver throne. “This is the Council Chamber. The four representatives meet here, to try and manipulate the Emperor into what they want. The Emperor is a hard man, so it is not easy. The Brotherhood has found favor in recent times due to the skirmishes with the Southerners on our borders, but before that peace kept us from being useful.
“Shouldn’t there be five representatives?”
“The Cult of Mist does not partake in this game. They deem it beneath them.” He thought for a second. “It very well may be. But we must. The others are already here,” Rhuikar said, pointing to the men sitting in the three chairs not designated for Rhuikar with a splash of red. They all had their apprentices standing next to them silently. One of the apprentices was a girl.
Jusong recognized the representative from the Commune. He did not know his name, but he had seen him before. He was a tall man, and what he wore was a combination of stone and cloth. Jusong snorted, but Rhuikar silenced him, obviously feeling the sentiment. The Brotherhood did not look kindly on the Commune. In an effort to integrate better into the Empire, they had taken to calling themselves Earthbrothers after the Brotherhood, and many Firebrothers still resented this.
The other two men he did not recognize. The representative for the College, those who worshipped He Who Dreams In Stars, was a thin man, with an emaciated face. He had beady eyes, with wrinkly skin. His apprentice was the girl, and she kept her hood thrown over her head, but Jusong could see her feminine features from where he stood. The representative from the College turned to look at Jusong, smiling faintly.
So you are Rhuikar’s apprentice, hmmm? Be careful of the games we play. They can be… dangerous.
The voice rang in his head as clear as anything he’d ever heard, but the Collegiate’s mouth had not moved. His smile grew a little, but Rhuikar’s growling voice grabbed the man’s attention.
“Stay out of my apprentice’s head, mind mage.”
A laugh soared from the other side of the room. It was a short man, short but thickly built. His face was like a mountain range, full of crags and peaks and age. His eyes shimmered with light. “The Collegiates have always had trouble ignoring the beat of their seed, much like you, Firebrother.”
Rhuikar glared at the short man. “And you hardly use it at all, Yesthin. The Skymonks might as well not even have seeds.”
“We do not wish the Insanity upon ourselves. Only the Brotherhood finds glory in that.” Yesthin spit.
“I have not come here to hear the squabbles of petty rivals who wish to have a pissing contest,” rang a voice that made Jusong jump to attention. It was a powerful, authoritative voice. “I have come to seek advice, and to hear the words of wise men whose devotion to the Gods provide an excellent example to all people. Do not make me think less of you.”
The me
n turned to acknowledge the owner of the voice, who sat upon the center throne. Jusong had not seen nor heard him arrive, but now he wondered how he could have missed him. The man was the largest person he had ever seen, and for as much muscle and height he had, he possessed equal amounts of hair. His beard was enormous, stretching down to his chest, and the hair on his head, tied into his braids, fell well past his shoulders. His eyes and nose were the only part of his face visible, and they reminded Jusong of a savage wolf.
“Emperor,” the men all said in union, bowing. The apprentices, along with Jusong, murmured the statement as well, bowing their heads.
“You illuminate us,” Rhuikar declared.
“You stabilize us,” said the Earthbrother in the far chair away from Jusong.
“You teach us,” the Collegiate added.
“You free us.” Yesthin’s statement seemed the end of the formality. The other men sat back down in their seats, but the apprentices remained standing next to their masters.
“Odd, for it seems to me that I would not need a Council if that were the case. If I were really so divine, I would not need to seek advice.”
“You do not seek advice, but discussion, Emperor. The answers you seek will be gleaned by you as you steer our words,” the Collegiate said, appearing to be pleased with his statement.
“You tell me what I seek,
