by Ian Everett
Thalram?” The Emperor asked in a dangerous tone.
“No, no, I simply mean that you do not need to rely on the words of old men, no matter how wise or devoted.” His voice shook. Jusong could not help but smile at the thought of the man being thrown out of the council for his insolence.
The Emperor simply dismissed the whole matter with the wave of his hand. “The Southern Kingdom has been encroaching on the borderlands again. I do not want to take up my banner against the men of the desert, but if I must, I will.”
“Your Divine Grace, if I may inquire, how far into the borderlands has he moved?” Yesthin asked.
“He has moved along the ridges of the Tenglith Mountains, assimilating the coastal lands and some of our villages there. He does not appear to be interested in moving further.”
“It seems to me the Southern King has grabbed worthless land, Emperor,” said Thalram. “The people there have not sent their tithes in many months.”
“This is true. I do not want to risk total war with the South if I can avoid it, especially over land that is contested already, and poor land regardless.”
“I have been there myself Your Grace, and it is mostly marshes. The soil is poor and the people make money by not tithing and dealing with the South. You would be giving away land that is already his,” the Earthbrother added, a bit sadly. The Commune profited in times of war and rebellion, as their stone additions to armor and fortress were invaluable.
Jusong was suddenly aware of what was going on. The Collegiate and the Skymonk were arguing in favor of not going to war, while the Earthbrother sadly gave in, because the Commune stood to gain from the prospect of battle. In times of peace, the Empire tended to favor the College and Church over Brotherhood and Commune.
Rhuikar suddenly spoke up. “What Thalram fails to mention is that the land there is a wonderful strategic point if war were to break out. The land there is protected by the Tenglith Mountains, but there is a pass to move troops and equipment through. If they fortify it, the Mountains are impassable to most armies, and the land they protect would make an excellent harbor for the South, wouldn’t you think, Emperor?”
The Emperor turned to Rhuikar, silently observing him for a second. “You speak truth, Firebrother. Very well, I will send a scout to see if they have taken the pass. If they have not, I will fortify it. If they have, I will attack at the harbor that we already own, and the people will remember where their allegiances lie.”
The other men turned to look at Rhuikar. Thalram and Yesthin both held looks of anger, but the Earthbrother almost had a look of gratitude in his eyes. Both the Brotherhood and Commune would profit from a war, between weaponry and armor. Jusong could not help but admire his new mentor.
The discussion turned to various matters after that, and the men all debated with each other, trying to gain a favorable position. Jusong did not know how long they remained there, but it could not have been more than a few hours. The Emperor eventually dismissed them with a wave of his hand, retreating to a doorway that led to the upper, personal chambers of the House.
Rhuikar decided to leave before the other men did, who lingered to chat amongst themselves, or ask their apprentices to get them drinks. Rhuikar leaned over to Jusong on the way out. “We have scored a major victory here. Too long has the Brotherhood sat by, losing favor in times of peace. The Emperor will have need of us if there is war to be had. I regret that we must share this victory with the Commune, but I will take anything at this point.”
They left the House of the Throne, heading back to the Temple. There weren’t as many people on the streets, and they took several back roads to save time. They did not talk, but Jusong could feel the happiness of victory radiating from Rhuikar as they walked.
Jusong noticed something funny as they walked. A mist was developing. It seemed odd for this part of town; they were not near the docks, and it carried the smell of something other than the sea… something… something like sulfur. There was a shimmer in the mist, a shiver in the air. Jusong realized what was happening just as the mist collected into a ball of liquid, which forced itself into Rhuikar’s mouth. Rhuikar had been too caught up in his thoughts to notice, and now grabbed at his throat, unable to get the ball of water out.
Jusong reacted as quickly as possible. The Firebrothers always carried a bag on them that contained flammable powder and oil. Jusong tossed this bag directly at the shimmer in the mist, waiting until the last second to ignite it. It burst out in a fiery wave, immolating the shimmer, and suddenly a man stood there, batting at the flames with his arms, rolling on the ground. Rhuikar gasped out the water as the assassin lost control over his magic.
Jusong closed the space between them, locking the assassin’s arms in a special grip he learned in his grappling lessons. The Firebrothers had always been keen on both sword fighting and martial combat. Jusong had opted for the martial combat with an emphasis on grappling and disarming.
“Mist cultist,” spat Rhuikar in between coughs. “Who sent you? Was it Thalram?”
The assassin did not respond, instead, forcing water into his throat. He sputtered for a moment, and then was still. Jusong let go of his arms as soon as the man was limp.
“I’ll need to get to the bottom of this later. You did well, Jusong. Thank you for saving my life. I can see my apprenticeship was not misplaced.” He smiled a bit, recovering from the altercation.
Jusong beamed back at him, standing up from the assassin’s body.
shadow and fear and pain and death and do you think your gods care? they do not. they do not.
The next few weeks went by plainly. Jusong did not accompany Rhuikar again to the council, as no council had been called. From what he learned through gossip, the Emperor had discovered a garrison at the pass, and was preparing his troops for a preemptive strike on the harbor near the Tenglith Mountains. Excited whispers about what this meant for the Brotherhood echoed through the temple.
Jusong had not seen Ushuon since that day in the Chamber of the Tree, though Jusong visited it often under the pretense of meditation at the same time of night. Rhuikar said nothing of it while they studied together, dismissing the issue as irrelevant. Jusong had begun to worry about his friend.
it is not light and yet it blinds me. it is not noise and yet it deafens me.
Jusong awoke from his nightmare. There was something wrong, but the dream was fading too quickly for him to grasp onto it and remember the details. He shrugged to himself and got out of bed. He couldn’t recall a night out of the last ten where he did not awake from sleep like this.
He threw on his robes and headed down the halls. They were quiet, but he could hear passionate moans from Sisters and Brothers performing the rituals behind their doors. It was not always restricted to heterosexual intercourse, but most often it was. He shivered. Neither of those things appealed to him very much, though he did know a few Sisters who would gladly take him in.
He headed to the main chamber, opening up the door with his fire again. He was struck with a sense of déjà vu as he did so, but he shrugged it off. There was a burst of steam and the door opened.
Waiting for him in the main chamber was Ushuon, standing there alone. He was naked and tears were rolling down his cheeks. He turned to face Jusong, a grin stained in blood on his face. Jusong realized to his horror that Ushuon had been biting himself and tearing off chunks of his flesh with his teeth.
“I… I taste good, they say. They can taste for me,” Ushuon managed out between pained sobs. “They are all around us, the children. They are not the father, but they are here. The father does not care. Not our father, not any father.” He bit himself, digging hard into his arm. He swallowed the flesh before Jusong could rush over to stop him.
“Ushuon!” Jusong cried out, “What have you done to yourself?”
Ushuon giggled. “The Old Brothers want me to Ascend. They say I am ready. The children tell me I am ready. They say they will take my mind to be with the father. But I have seen th
e father, and the other fathers too. He Who Basks In Flames… We worship him but he does not care for us. Do you think he cares about you, Jusong?” Ushuon turned towards his friend, all his intent on him.
Jusong stammered. “I… you… you are babbling about nonsense!”
“The blind do not call the world nonsense because they cannot see it,” Ushuon admonished, assuming his most patriarchal voice. He giggled to himself. “They want me to Ascend. I do not. The children want to take my mind and leave my body here. They want to take me to be with the father, but I have seen the father. Did I tell you I saw the father? He Who Basks In Flames?”
“Where… where did you see him?”
“I saw him in my darkest dreams. We are a mote of dust in his eye, nothing more. The other fathers… they do not care either. They do not notice a small world siphoning a drop of strength from their ocean. They do not see us.” He paused for a moment, breathing loudly through his nose. “I have a choice, my friend.”
“What is your choice, Ushuon?” Jusong was now grasping Ushuon by his arms so that he could not bite himself anymore.
“You remember how when we first ingested the seed, that they taught us we must control the fire in us, or else we would be consumed by it? That is what the passion rituals are for, so that we can
