by David Gunter
“Oh! Sir David, [ehem], I would take your leave to bring the tools to the work site… Sir?” The soldier said while still awkwardly changing the way he addressed him. Seeing the change in the soldier’s demeanor, the Dwarf visibly straightened and seemed almost proud of the effect his words had had. Then both the soldier and Gwarm stood by waiting for David’s final say.
David felt out of place and struggled for the words, but he gave it his best. “Um, ya take any tools you see for digging and breaking stones, oh and, also the buckets for the water. Most of these are leaning against the wall next to the weapons rack. Um, also have someone bring the steel pipes to Francis, could you?”
“Yes, sir! At once, sir”. The soldier immediately responded and turned and went into the shop to get the tools. David and Gwarm turned and started once more towards the castle.
As they approached the front gates of the castle, he took in the building and its features. It was a modest-looking building, and David thought that it was closer to a mansion than a castle, but it had enough of the required features with stone exteriors, tall walls with slits for archers, and rounded towers with cone-shaped roofs, to be considered one. Its size, however, seemed only a little taller than that of the mage’s living quarters, which was being de-flooded currently, and neither were the tallest buildings in the city. He turned and quickly spotted the imposing posture of the tallest building in the city. It was a tall tower near the mage’s quarters, and it was both impressively wide as it was tall.
As Gwarm explained his business with the castle guards and got them through the outer gates, David quietly took in the castle and the tower and compared their architecture. It was clear that the two buildings had been built in completely different periods of architecture and by entirely different builders. Where the Emperor’s castle had numerous details made of stone blocks with few to no smooth surfaces, the tower, by contrast, seemed to be made of one single stone with no apparent seam. The tower also had large protruding spikes and vertical fins which covered all its sides, as if the building was designed to withstand great amounts of external heat. It also stood out among many of the opal-covered buildings and city walls, as it was entirely made of a singular black stone and which seemed to reflect light in purple and violet hues. In the final glimpse of the building, he saw the light at the top of the tower and remembered the light blue light he had spotted as he had exited the cave soon after his arrival. ‘These two must be one and the same,’ he thought.
Gwarm and David entered the main building and were shown to a waiting area by a well-dressed servant and asked to wait for the Emperor’s admission. As they made their way to the waiting area, David spotted the same agitated and rude mage, Rudolfus, that had shown him to the flooded mage’s quarters earlier that day. As soon as Rudolfus recognized David, he looked down and away and pretended the other two hadn’t just arrived.
“Oh, well well well,” said Gwarm at finding Rudolfus sitting in the waiting area, “what are the chances of finding you here, Rudolfus? [chuckle]” There was a somewhat sarcastic way in which Gwarm said this, and the other man ended his attempts to ignore the two who had arrived.
“Well, I hate to inconvenience the Dwarven Ambassador with the pleas for help from the likes of me and my kind.” The way in which Rudolfus said this made David think that his complaints had been heard more than a few times and, based on the previous display of dissatisfaction, perhaps not in the best fashion or circumstances.
“Oh? By ‘kind,’ am I to guess that there are a bunch of sniveling pretenders, such as yourself, somewhere in the kingdom and which you represent? Oh! I don’t think you appreciate how much we enjoy seeing peacocks, monkeys, and your ‘kind,’ on display at the zoo, though we’d prefer to have you behind bars, like the rest of the animals.” The look of astonishment from Rudolfus was so pronounced that David thought his eyes had grown two sizes, and the color of his face would’ve given the most bright woman’s makeup a run for its money.
“How dare you, sir!” That was all that Rudolfus had time to say as the doors to the Emperor’s courtroom opened, and the same immaculately dressed servant held the door open and called out for all in the courtroom to hear. “The Ambassador to the Dwarven Kingdom and his guest may enter.”
David and Gwarm stood up, and David saw the Dwarf straighten his beard and shift his jacket. David took after Gwarm’s example and straightened out his simple clothing and stole a short glance at Rudolfus. The furious man looked confused and kept looking from the open doors to Gwarm and David as if working out how he might find a way to walk in with them. David followed Gwarm by his side but kept a step behind, and then he heard Rudolfus exclaim, “But I’ve been here for almost five spans, your eminence.”
The doors closed behind Gwarm and David, and they both ignored Rudolfus’s attempt to come in with them as he was unceremoniously stopped by the well-dressed servant who closed the doors, nearly catching Rudolfus’ outstretched hands. They could still hear Rudolfus’s shouts through the cracks in the door, and Gwarm gave a short cough and whispered to David, “This man makes the whole court look bad.”
An older-looking man sitting in a high chair towards the right side of the room, from the entrance, spoke clearly and loud. “Gwarm, is that you? c’mon, my friend, you haven’t come by to visit in a while.”
Gwarm straightened once more and sprinted forward, and David quickly sped up to keep up the pace but still ensured he kept a step behind the Dwarf. Then the two men stood before a very ornate green, emerald and opal, throne. The fact that David’s eyes, though lowered, found themselves studying the dragons, fish, and other fantastical creatures depicted on the columns, stairs, and the throne itself, should be of no surprise. His attention to detail and creativity couldn’t help but take over at such a sight. The fact that he was enthralled by the room’s decorations and detailed stonework didn’t escape the Emperor, and so throughout the conversation that ensued, the Emperor followed David’s gaze to all the drawings, carvings, and figures and as he did so an understanding smile appeared on the old and wizened rulers face.
“Gwarm, it’s nice to see you after so many months. Seeing that you’ve brought a guest, can I presume that you’ve found just the sort of person you’ve been waiting for?”
Gwarm smiled and raised his eyes and then brought his arm behind David, making him take a step forward to stand by his side. “It is my pleasure to present to you a master blacksmith who upon arrival has already demonstrated exceptional skill in the forge and who has already undertaken work to improve our city. I have every confidence that under your sovereign evaluation, the same masterful skill will be only further revealed.”
David pulled his attention away from the items in the room and focused on the Imperial eyes which now studied him. Then he did what came naturally to him when things got awkward and strange. He just raised his hand and moved it in a slight wave and said, “Hey there, I’m David Gosling at your service, Emperor sir.”
The Emperor and Gwarm exchanged a quick glance, and then they both gave a short chuckle. Then the Emperor spoke. “Well, David Gosling, most people just address me as Your Majesty or Your Eminence, but I think that perhaps, coming from a person like yourself, an ‘Emperor Sir’ may be just as appropriate. My name is Emperor Tony Chow, and as you’ve probably heard by now, the need is great in my empire for a person of skill who can improve the quality of life for all. Do you profess to be such a person, and would you accept the life of wealth and power that serving a great emperor would award a skilled person like yourself?”
After saying this, the Emperor fixed him with an unreadable gaze, but David understood the silent and emotion-free expression for the evaluation that it was.
“I am not here to become wealthy and powerful, but if that’s what it takes to make a name for myself and have it known throughout this land and others, then that might accomplish my goal. I’m actually here looking for someone, and I’m hop
ing to make it easier for her to find me. Perhaps if I make it well known that I’m here and that I’m not going anywhere, she might come to find me.” Upon finishing his reply, he sensed a sudden movement to the side of the room and saw that besides the Emperor, there were others in the room. There was a young woman who was surrounded by other young people and who was now standing and who the Emperor was attempting to ignore. David noticed how the younger woman was wearing a very ornate veil and a slim silk dress. The dress was a light pink and covered in beautiful storks and scenes of serenity which truly accentuated the delicate girl’s hands which she, having seen the Emperor’s refusal to look in her direction, had applied to her waste and then switched to a majestic folded position in front of her. The girl clearly was irritated by the Emperor’s avoidance and not able to contain her silence spoke out.
“Father! Really I do not believe you would deny me a moment to speak, would you?” She continued to fold her arms and waited for the Emperor’s acknowledgment.
“Well, you don’t know what you’ve done with this revelation.” The Emperor said, looking at David. Then he turned to look at the princess and said, “And am I to suppose that you might have a few questions for the traveler as well?”
“I most certainly do, father, and you shouldn’t ask me to stay all day in court without the chance to hear more about a tale of this magnitude.” The princess responded with more insight into courtly and royal life than what was necessary.
The Emperor visibly deflated and responded. “I will give you a single question, and it must not lead to a long tale. In fact, if the traveler refuses to answer your question, I will permit it. Do we have an understanding, daughter?”
“Oh, father, I’m certain no one would refuse your daughter a simple question. Some might say that doing so would bring them bad luck!” The way the princess responded was clearly a reference to some past moments that must have exemplified such refusals. David wondered if the veiled threat could have been any more obvious.
Then after saying this, she spoke directly to David. “Many of the women in this world and I worship the goddess of starlight, our beloved Starlight Girl. She teaches us that we must go and do as we please. If your woman has left you to go to a faraway land would you deny her this freedom by coming in search of her?”
David looked at the girl in surprise and saw that the girl was completely misreading the situation, but as he considered how to answer, he also had to wonder if the Emperor was allowing this girl to question him to further test what he was made of. This goddess of starlight seemed like the worst kind of role model for young women to him, and he wondered if the sort of carefree and irresponsible attitude towards life’s choices and commitments wasn’t the surest way to see a society decay and unravel.
He answered the girl the only way he knew how. “If this starlight goddess speaks the truth and the ways of the past are to be cast aside, then I suggest that all fathers simply cast aside the responsibility to their children and let children feed themselves from now on. We should leave our pregnant and nursing women to fend for themselves and enjoy the carefree lives the starlight goddess has blessed us with. Then, it would seem to me that instead of looking for my children’s mother, I would simply live a life enjoying the company of younger women, and the more, the merrier. Perhaps you suggest that I too can wear pretty pink dresses and refuse the responsibilities of my station and engender the kind of thinking that would undo my father’s kingdom and ultimately leave my family poor and destitute, becoming a mockery to the entire world in the process.”
At saying this final statement David gave the girl a keen eye and waited to see how his statement impacted the clearly adolescent girl. The girl looked at him in awe and was clearly processing the full extent of his challenge to her professed beliefs. Then she stomped her foot and spun around, giving him her back.
David turned and looked at the Emperor, who was struggling to hide the glee in his eyes and coughed a few times, attempting to hide some laughter. His daughter was unable to answer, but the Emperor had more to say. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen in anyone the clarity that you bring to the subject of the gods and goddesses of this world. David, you suggest that if we followed the teachings of this starlight girl, I would be free to leave this kingdom behind, and my daughter would simply have to get used to fending for herself. I confess there are some days when my youngest’s behavior entices me to do that very thing regardless of the goddess’s teachings. Even more interesting is the idea that this goddess’s teaching seems to be a direct attack against the order and strength of any empire and would lead to the destabilization of all kingdoms and societies. If I was a betting man, I would bet that the weakening of our culture and society is exactly the thing that the darkest forces in our world would employ to undo us entirely. I wish my youngest would open her eyes to this truth one day.”
David heard the desperation in the Emperor’s words as he tried to appeal to his daughter’s better judgment and consideration. It didn’t look like this day would be the day for that, though, as the girl simply stood with her back to the Emperor and refused to give him the respect he deserved. Seeing this as well, the Emperor stated. Let’s clear the courtroom of all but the most senior members. The entourage of the princess stood up and started towards a far door and which headed deeper into the castle. The princess didn’t wait for her group, and she stomped away and out of the door, slamming it behind her, not even waiting for her group to join her.
All the women in the group, David noticed, wore veils, and only their eyes were visible. As he and the other older folk watched the group move towards the exit, he saw the eyes of one woman in the group fixated on him. When their eyes met, she looked down but delayed a few steps allowing herself to stand apart from those that departed. She then gave a side bow, which was clearly meant to both set her apart from those ahead of her show her respect for those that remained. The act was admired and acknowledged by others in the room, who returned the gesture with bowed heads. The girl slowly raised herself, leaving only her head bowed, and then she fixed him with another look which he took to mean that the final bow was meant for him. Then she walked towards the same exit and was the final one in the group to depart.
The Emperor broke the silence first, “Well, it looks like you have found an ally among the young and beautiful traveler. There’s hope for this empire yet. David, is it OK if I call you that?” The Emperor didn’t really wait to hear his assent, “I’m going to make this simple. In two days, I’ve invited two other pretended weapon smiths to bring me their finest work, and I’ll extend you the same challenge. Bring me your finest weapon, and you will have the title and respect that best suits your abilities. Also, just as with your predecessors, I’ll grant you a single question.”
David thought the request was a simple one and wouldn’t be a very difficult task, and for a moment, he believed he didn’t have a question, but just as he was about to say so, he realized that he did have a question. “What is the greatest threat to your empire?”
Emperor Chow was quiet for a minute, and during that time, he could be seen looking towards the door where his youngest had exited earlier and back towards David, taking in the man that asked him the question. And then, after caressing his beard a few times, answered David’s question. “I believe it is the lies which have found their way into the hearts and thoughts of my people. An enemy who has yet to be revealed is counting on these to undo the pillars which have withstood the waves of darkness and which have threatened to topple us for centuries.”
After this, the Emperor dismissed David and Gwarm, and the two men bowed and then headed out of the castle and into the evening air. Gwarm, once outside, looked at David and asked, “How will you create a weapon that can defeat lies? I think you may have set yourself up for an impossible task.”
David quietly considered the implied desire of the Emperor and about the words of his youngest. “Well, I can’t
blame him for wanting that kind of weapon if that is what he desires, but that sort of ask is a double-edged sword, in a manner of speech.” He looked to see if Gwarm understood but got a blank expression, so he added. “If I was to make a sword that could defeat lies, what would happen to anyone that lied in its presence?” Gwarm looked at him in surprise.
“Wait! Are you saying such a weapon can be made?” The Dwarf asked in surprise.
“Why not” replied David. “If someone can hold in their possession the ‘Seed of Hope,’ why wouldn’t a weapon like this exist?” David said this and simply kept on walking and completely failed to see the Dwarf suddenly stop and give him the most confused look yet. David assumed that his reasoning must have hit a chord with the Dwarf since the shorter man said nothing more all the way to the shop. Gwarm was about to ask more about the ‘Seed of Hope’ comment David had mentioned moments before, but a soldier waiting at the door to the shop was anxiously waiting, and the moment they approached, he stepped forward and spoke, interrupting the moment.
“Hello, Sir David and Sir Gwarm. The flooding has been almost completely drained from the first basement floor, and WhoDadi5O asked me to tell you that he found the source of at least one of the leaks.”
The news the soldier had brought was great news, and David turned to Gwarm and asked the Dwarf to excuse him as he needed to head over to the project. The Dwarf simply waved and said he would be closing the shop anyway and that he was looking forward to the following days’ smithing work.
With that, David and the soldier walked quickly towards the site, and a few minutes later, we’re standing in front of the hole the soldiers had dug. The water was still accumulating as was expected, but the soldiers continued to lower the buckets and bring them back out full of water, which helped to keep the flooding in check.
Soon after arriving, David started looking for three travelers who had accepted his quest to work on his projects. As he looked about, however, he didn’t spot them among the others, and it disappointed him until another guard approached and said that the three men had entered the floor to explore.
