by Ajax Lygan
“What about Norra?”
“She did get involved quite early in her life yet decided to pursue other interests as time went on.”
Tempest leaned back in his chair as he thought about the weight of responsibility he would have in the following days. He tipped his glass back, finishing off the rest of his wine. A loud voice called from the end of the table as King Orum stood from his chair.
“With dinner concluded, I think it’s time we move on to tonight’s ceremony,” he said, pointing his glass toward Tempest. Another man stood with gray and purplish skin, long fingernails, and ears that seemed to expand along his skull. His teeth, pointed, reminding Tempest of the ravenous.
“Ah yes, I believe we’re all interested to see the Eminence’s color.” A growing murmur of agreement rolled through the group. Tempest swallowed as he looked over at Saïgra. She reached over and rubbed Tempest’s arm.
“I’m sorry, I got side tracked in telling you who everyone is. Do you want me to delay? Are you ready?”
Tempest grabbed a nearby bottle of wine and poured it himself, not waiting for one of the acolytes. He downed the glass with a few large gulps before standing from his chair. “Let’s find out.”
The flock of royalty followed Tempest as he exited the room. Gregoro led them down to the first floor, pausing Tempest on the top of the stairs leading down to the courtyard. The members of the IRC, including Saïgra, walked down toward the bottom of the stairs. A trickle of gawkers congregated from the nearby tents that lined the courtyard, all waiting to witness the once in a lifetime event.
Tempest turned toward the footsteps approaching behind him. Imina stood with both arms extended, holding something covered in a purple cloth with a design that mimicked the stars lined in the night’s sky. With one swift motion, Gregoro pulled the covering, revealing a melon sized crystal ball lying dormant on a purple pillow. Gregoro then turned to address the crowd.
“Hear ye, fellow children of Iðna. Today marks a momentous occasion; a once in a lifetime event for many here. We are here today to witness the identification and revelation of the next Aspect!” A mixture of applause and tribal calls echoed from the courtyard, bringing a smile to Tempest’s face. “Now, as with tradition, we will hand him, known only as Tempest, the Aspect crystal, which will prove, without a doubt, he is the next divine. As the crystal lights, not only will it answer the question we seek, but it will reveal his true color!” The crowd’s cries echoed throughout the courtyard as Gregoro reached for the crystal and turned toward Tempest.
“When I hand you the crystal, you may feel it pull you. Don’t be alarmed. That’s an excellent sign.” Tempest reached his hands out and felt his fingertips pull to the crystal, like apposing magnets. “Great, that’s exactly what we want,” he said, stepping to Tempest’s side and giving the crowd a direct view.
“What now?” Tempest asked, looking up at Gregoro.
“Now, pour your magic into it.”
Tempest attempted to as he had done before. However, nothing happened. He still felt the lingering numbness inside, like a part of him was missing. As he stood there staring with no change, murmurs rose from the crowd. Tempest looked up at all the eyes on him, including the members of the IRC. He felt sweat slide underneath his arms as he sat there staring at the inert crystal. The crowd’s displeasure grew, and even the members of the IRC began to complain.
“Vatia, I swear if you called us here for nothing, we’ll never forgive you,” a feminine voice said.
“Quite right; although Queen Maileath said she confirmed it, maybe she’s losing her touch, cooped away in that shrub of hers,” the naga man said. But it was the man in the black and red clothes that silenced them both with a stern tone. “Quiet, the both of you, something is happening.”
Tempest’s frustration had built into an inferno of rage. He thought about Riika and Ella, lying hopelessly above him while being ridiculed. He knew he was the Aspect, and he was going to show them. Without warning, a whirlpool of color swirled within the crystal. Tempest couldn’t help but let out an obnoxious laugh as he felt a glimmer of his power begin to flow into the artifact. All the colors spun faster and faster before a minor explosion occurred within, settling on a bright white light.
“White?” Gregoro said, scratching his head. “Th-that doesn’t make sense.”
“What does it mean?” Tempest asked, smiling.
“I-I don’t know…unless…” The crowd’s demeanor changed as quick as the wind. Rounding applause, musical horns, and shouts of excitement echoed into the night. Gregoro lifted Tempest’s hands, which held onto the crystal, above his head as he addressed the crowd. “Your new Aspect!” The two laughed as the crowd showered them with affection. However, their laughter stopped as the crystal sparked with energy.
“What’s happening?” Tempest asked.
“Just let go; you’re feeding it too much power.”
“I can’t!” Tempest shouted, trying to pull his fingers from the crystal. Sparks jumped from the ball, hitting the ground like bolts of lightning scorching the ground where it hit. Screams of fear and shouts of retreat sounded as everyone moved back away from Tempest.
“You have to let go!” Gregoro shouted again.
“I’m trying!”
An ominous hum resounded from the ball building to a climax as it absorbed more energy than it could handle. The device began to fracture as it became almost entirely covered in shards of lightning. As Tempest continued to pull, he made one last effort, only this time deciding to flood with as much force energy as he could. He turned away from everyone, toward the cliff of Joromund’s Peak, and pressed with everything he had. It was just in time. The crystal flew through the sky in a white line of light and exploded in a show of sparkling dust that shimmered its way down to the ground below. Tempest felt a hand land on his shoulder and turned to see Gregoro smiling.
“Well, that’s been the most eventful revelation I have been a part of.”
“What about the crystal? Aren’t you upset?”
“A worry for another time, for now, we should celebrate your announcement.” With a pat on Tempest’s shoulder, Gregoro turned back toward the crowd.
“Please join us, as we heralds perform our most sacred duty, and announce this to the world!” Gregoro led everyone to the back of the complex where Arigore, Mala, and Qi were already waiting. Five metal tubes with mouthpieces on each end, equally spaced apart, protruded several feet from the ground. Each of the heralds took their places, with Arigore having to drop to his knees and Imina standing on top of a box. When Gregoro’s countdown concluded, they all pressed their lips to the cone shape cylinders on the edge of the rods and blew.
A deep bass echoed from the worldhorn as the ground beneath them shook. The sound was magical as it carried through the air without losing its volume. After five seconds, the heralds pulled away and immediately hugged each other in a tear-filled release. For each of them, this was their destiny fulfilled. A light applause filled the room from the spectators.
“Thank you so much for being a part of this historic occasion,” Gregoro said. “Tonight’s ceremony has concluded, yet the festivities have just begun.”
17
A Night of Introductions
Tempest opened his eyes under the subtle caresses from both Ella’s and Riika’s hands. The two looked up at him as he removed the cloth from their heads. He mustered as much healing as he could, but could still detect a looming corruption spread throughout their bodies.
“I’m glad to see you both awake.” Tempest said, gripping both of their hands. “When we jumped through the portal, something happened, and the three of us got the worst of it.”
Riika moved up to her elbows but fell back into the pillow and moaned as she gripped her stomach. “My insides feel like they are twisted into a knot.”
“Well, they aren’t, thankfully, but some of the mirror’s residual energy is still lingering in your bodies. It completely took away all of my magic, up u
ntil an hour or so ago, so I wasn’t able to heal you both completely.”
“What about my potions?” Ella asked, her voice raspy.
“All the bottles shattered when you jumped through.”
Ella then leaned to her side and attempted to rise just like Riika. “Get me my bag, I can make…” her speech was cut off as she fell back into the pillow.
“Neither of you are in any condition to do anything,” Saïgra said, covering the two back up in their blankets. “We’ll need to wait until Tempest regains enough strength to heal you. The good news is that we are in Joromund’s Peak, and Tempest has been announced as the Aspect. The entire city is celebrating.”
“That’s great,” Ella strained.
“We knew it from the very beginning,” Riika added with a weary smile. Tempest rubbed his hands on their arms and smiled.
“I couldn’t have done it without either of you. I love you both.” Ella and Riika stared at each other before turning back toward Tempest.
“We love you too, Tempest. Now go enjoy your party.”
“We’ll keep an eye on each other,” Ella said. “You two go have fun.” Tempest leaned down and kissed the two on the top of their heads and stood up. The door slid open as Arigore and Mala stepped inside, bringing in plates of food and drink.
“This is Arigore and Mala. If you need anything, just have them come get me.”
“Go!” Riika said, trying to calm her cough. “We’ll be fine.”
Tempest headed toward the door with Saïgra at his backside. He waved goodbye as he slid the door closed. The courtyard was like a different place with live music, dancing, and campfires lit into the night. As they reached the bottom floor, a familiar purple elf yelled as she waved and shuffled over toward Tempest.
“Tempest!”
“Queen Alyndra!” Tempest shouted and waved back. He let out a sound of surprise as Alyndra leaned in and kissed him on both cheeks.
“Sorry about earlier, I didn’t get a chance to say hello. I needed to put on my game face given I was surrounded by the other royals.”
“No worries, I understand you’ve got business to attend to.”
Queen Alyndra nodded and pointed over her shoulder. “Speaking of which, you probably don’t know much about many of the people, do you?”
“No, not really,” Tempest said, smiling and rubbing the back of his head. “I don’t even know many of their names. Saïgra had planned on doing so, but we got a little sidetracked.” Queen Alyndra looked around Tempest to address Saïgra.
“Want to teach him together?” Saïgra’s face lit up red as she nodded quickly.
“Fantastic!” Queen Alyndra said, taking her place in between the two, linking her arms with them both. Alyndra’s steps were almost a skip as her excitement got the better of her. She led the two toward the massive bonfire that was lit in the center of the courtyard, providing plenty of warmth toward the surrounding area. It created a much-needed shield from the cool night wind. She made sure to stop by one of the acolytes who were carrying trays of hot alcoholic cider, handing a glass to both Tempest and Saïgra before taking one of her own. “Before we get down to business, let us toast to your celebration.”
“And to my friends who I have made along the way,” Tempest said, raising his glass to the two beauties that stood before him.
“To friendship and fulfillment,” Saïgra added. Tempest had a lump in his throat as his eyes moved between the two standing before him. Something about the way the cups hid their faces, emphasizing the flickering flame in their eyes as they looked up at him, flooded him with a primal urge. Tempest had to harden his mind, for he knew the consequences that train of thought would lead him to. He needed to remain undistracted so that he could learn of the major players visiting tonight. He lowered his eyes as Queen Alyndra resumed her position between himself and Saïgra.
Alyndra looked around before turning and ushering the group to the top of the stairs in the front of the first floor. A lit magical torch provided a personal heater for the trio as they overlooked the celebrating crowd in the courtyard. It was then that Queen Alyndra did what she promised and began pointing out the members of the IRC.
“Since you came with Queen Vatia and King Orum, I don’t think I need to do any introductions there,” she said, nodding toward the pair who were spending their free time deep in each other’s eyes.
“No, we’ve spent plenty of time together,” Tempest said, grimacing.
“Yeah, understandable you’d be upset after the events that happened earlier. Although, it’s surprising to not see the shadow Queen here. She’s usually the one to handle all the diplomatic matters.”
“It’s funny you say that, because we’ve only seen her once the entire time we were in Halairim. They kept saying she was on some important task.”
Queen Alyndra cocked her brow as she glanced up at Tempest. “Really? That’s…odd.”
“Yeah, it was during the public executions of The Cessation members. Even then, we didn’t get a chance to speak. She just stared at me, and I couldn’t tell if she was pissed, enthralled, or disappointed.”
“What did you do?”
“I just glared right back at her until she turned away.”
“Ah, the ol’ whoever blinks first loses trick, I see,” she said chuckling.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Tempest said, smirking.
“Well, then outside of the hydra you have me, representing Ashwreath and Lady Saïgra representing the Firegrove. It’s my understanding that Queen Maileath will be finally taking an official spot at the table?”
“That’s correct, Queen Alyndra,” Saïgra said.
“Good,” Queen Alyndra said, nodding. “The Firegrove has been neutral for far too long. It’s now needed more than ever to have you all involved.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Saïgra said, smiling. The two clinked glasses before taking another sip.
“That’s all you are familiar with, yes?”
“Directly, yes, although our run in with The Cessation involved others.”
Queen Alyndra’s demeanor immediately shifted. She crossed her arms and leaned into the wall behind them, catching Tempest’s glances momentarily before glancing away. She drank the rest of her cup and took a deep breath as she pushed herself from the wall. “I hope you know I had…” she paused as Tempest smiled and waved his hands in front of her.
“You don’t need to say anything. I believe it.”
Queen Alyndra’s face puffed up as she gripped her fists. “Gods, it makes me so mad. I’ve known her since we were kids. I never would have expected it from her.”
Tempest reached out and gripped her shoulder. “I think that was the point though,” he said, laughing, trying to lighten the mood. “If it was common knowledge, they wouldn’t have been able to get away with what they did. Thankfully, we were able to put a stop to them.” Tempest turned and pulled Saïgra in toward him. “And none of it would have been possible without Lady Saïgra.” Saïgra’s face lit up like a rose as she smiled, finding it hard to maintain eye contact.
“I know, and you’re right,” Queen Alyndra said, letting out a vast sigh. She looked up and grasped Saïgra’s hands. “Thank you for keeping this one safe,” she said, nodding toward Tempest. “I hope you know that the Firegrove can count on Ashwreath’s support on its request to join the council.”
“Thank you, Queen Alyndra,” Saïgra said. “It’s good to have your support.”
Queen Alyndra nodded before turning back toward the campfire. “Now, back to what we were talking about. Ah, you see the elven man with the black skin and speckled white face paint like you were staring up at the night’s sky?”
“Yeah, the one with the bright white hair, next to the woman who almost looks like a shorter clone?”
“Yes,” she said with a slight chuckle. “That’s King Emmanuel Häguin and his fifth wife, Queen Lorali Illiana. They are the King and Queen of Aerlanthir.”
“What happened to his othe
r four?”
“No one knows, but the rumor is that when King Häguin tires of them, he pays them an absorbent amount of money, then casts a permanency spell upon them to wipe their memory and change their appearance.
“Wait, he can do that?”
Queen Alyndra rolled her eyes. “Don’t go getting ideas, but yeah. Aerlanthir has complete control over all the magical artifacts on Iðna. I’m sure they have plenty whose magic is more powerful than you could imagine.” Alyndra leaned over and cupped her hand to whisper. “Although, it is pretty weird that he dresses them up to look like him. I’m almost positive that’s not her natural hair or skin color.”
“Yeah that’s…strange.” Tempest felt the thud of large footsteps behind them as the two distinct groups of colossal dwarven men made their way to the campfire. Queen Alyndra gasped as the two groups fanned to opposite sides of the courtyard and began setting up their own camp.
“Well, this just got really interesting,” Queen Alyndra said, tapping her finger on her lips.
“Who are they?”
“Those are the sons of Dorthomir. Dimitri and Ulthir Shieldbreaker. When the former King passed away, he left the kingdom to his sons. The problem is that neither of them could get along. I don’t know if the King hoped that his death would finally bring the two together or what, but it drove them even further apart. They’re responsible for destroying the entire island of Dorthomir. Thousands of years of dwarven history and ancestry gone in days once the fighting started.”
“I remember Queen Vatia mentioning King Orum visiting them to try to stop the fighting.
“Mm-hmm,” she mumbled. “Dorthomir is home to the most precious and pure metals in all of Iðna. Once the fighting started, all the exports stopped, resulting in a huge drain on the world’s economy. It was one of those things where keeping all your eggs in one basket backfired. The IRC has been trying to rectify the situation ever since.”
