Here's a preview of the prologue and a bit of chapter 1. The working title is The Rise of Aethan Lightbringer, but that might change. It's copyright 2015 by me, blah blah, legalese.
Prologue
Mid-Summer
835 A.F
Overcommander
Rameze prostrated before his deity and the self-proclaimed deity of
the B'vellah Empire, Prince Sydeke. Technically, his divinity would
not begin until the official ceremony empowering him to become
Emperor Sydeke. That he was one of four competing brothers bothered
Rameze not at all.
The
prince had granted Rameze's request to move the audience to a
smaller, informal and more private throne room than the imperial
throne room. No Councilors were in attendance. Imperial guards
watched from the opposite end of the room. Prince Sydeke raised the
royal scepter signaling favor.
“Rise,
Rameze.”
“Your
Imperial Majesty.”
Sydeke
ignored the future title. “Have you uncovered what went wrong in
Kilkis?”
“Yes,
your Majesty. Our assassins altered the plan at the last moment and
tried to capture the king of Yesh for reasons unknown. Right before
translocation, Yeshian Messengers arrived and severed the
dominion. Facing a numerically superior force and a Great Healer, the
nephilim attempted retreat. Because of a change in enemy tactics,
only Domnint Kusbakt succeeded. The rest were defeated. Kusbakt went
to Kilkis and then Ammu. My guess is that one of the Messengers
possessed the dominion of hunting.”
Sydeke
frowned skepticism. “Rameze?”
Rameze
prostrated himself. “Some of them had to be from the past, O
Majesty. I know it's impossible, but events can't be explained
otherwise. No one has the dominion of hunting. Even King
Dakhil was deficient.”
“Rise.
This is known through spies. Colors don't lie. Some of them were from
the past. Tell me the rest,” Sydeke commanded.
“But-”
“Reality
doesn't diminish my impending deity, Rameze. We accept this new
reality and proceed from that point. However, reality does not leave
this room.”
“Yes,
your Majesty.” Rameze bowed. Traveling from one now to another now
was considered to be non-truth by the throne. “After the battle one
of the Messengers seems to have sent a powerful weapon like those
described in the mythology of the Yesh-Marhel War to Kilkis.
Everything in the area where Kusbakt translocated was
completely destroyed by a great heat, including King Dakhil's castle.
It started many fires. Much of the city burned to the ground. They
built heavily with wood. Primitive Derdlanite building practices
will-”
“The
Province of Derdlan will be civilized in the course of time,”
Sydeke interrupted.
“Yes,
your Majesty. Over half of the Supreme Council was in the castle in
Kilkis, when-”
“New
positions will be granted by year's end. The political continuity of
the Supreme Council is assured. The military leadership lost will be
harder to replace. You and Domnint Kusbakt will work together on a
better report than the one he's given. I want to know who led the
battle in the throne room in Selah, how it was coordinated, who
fought with whom...” Sydeke frowned. “Rameze?”
“A
thousand generations of pardons, your Majesty. Kusbakt was found
dead. He may have been killed by other nephilim for some reason of
their own.”
“That
fool! He's our only witness!”
“Yes,
your Majesty, but I can state with some assurance that the one called
Joseph the Merciful led the battle. From Kusbakt's description of
events, the logical-”
“Capture
him alive. I want to know what weapon he used in Kilkis and what
weapon was used against King Dakhil's army in Yesh,” the prince
ordered. “Capture them all.”
Rameze
flicked his tongue between his lips. “I don't think that will be
possible.”
“For
me nothing is impossible, Rameze!”
The
Overcommander prostrated.
“Stop
that! Rise and speak!”
“The
Messengers are leaving Yesh just as the histories describe. The
Yeshians are on alert for nephilim. We could perhaps send ordinary
domnints in, but in my opinion there's simply not enough time to put
an effective plan into effect. During the recent war, we made several
assassination attempts in Selah itself. Our best effort saw Kayley
the Beautiful practically raise herself from the dead. These
Messengers are skilled foes. By the time something successful can be
executed, they'll be gone.”
“Is
that your honest assessment?” Sydeke inquired.
“Yes,
your Majesty. They've all left Selah and scattered to the winds.
According to my best reports, they'll be gone within days.”
“Very
well. You will repeat nothing discussed here today. Dismissed.”
“Yes,
your Majesty!” Rameze prostrated himself and departed. Sydeke's
willingness to embrace non-truth had been most refreshing. Perhaps
this boded well for the future of the Empire.
*
* *
Prince
Sydeke translocated to the throne room.
“Summon
Domnint Rahim,” he ordered, and a sycophant rushed to obey. When at
last Rahim appeared, Sydeke created a working to ensure privacy.
“Rise.”
“What
is your desire, Majesty?”
“Overcommander
Rameze has defied me in his heart. Make room for a new
Overcommander.”
Rahim
bowed. “How should it look?”
“Send
a message about the reward for those who learn the art of
impossibility.”
“It
will be done.”
Chapter
1
Autumn
835 A.F.
Marion
finished the last of his water as the debate in the conferring room
rolled off the walls around him.
“This
is our best chance for peace and security!” King Afton thundered,
shaking the diplomatic correspondence for emphasis. Crimson mottled
the king of Yesh's face.
“A
false peace,” General Dan said. “Emperor Shiraz may be dead, but
Emperor Sydeke didn't fall far from the tree.”
“Are
you calling the man a liar?”
Dan
shrugged. “The prophecies of High Priest Edelhard reveal the truth.
Master Meredith the Discerner herself-”
“No!”
Afton interjected. “Two-thirds of the empire's political leadership
is dead and much of their high-ranking military hierarchy. It'll take
years, if not decades, for them to recover from such a blow!”
“Easten,”
Joseph the Merciful said.
Afton's
expression twisted. Emperor Sydeke's first act upon formally
ascending the throne had been to annex Easten to the empire. The loss
of their primary port on the Great River had enraged Marhel but left
them no recourse other than to accept the development as gracefully
as possible. The B'vellah Empire was rumored to have over a million
men under arms in the army alone.
“Marhel's
weak!” Genia asserted, dark curls bouncing emphatically. “Queen
Tegan lacks the stomach to fight.”
Marion
glanced at her while waiting to see if the outburst would be
tolerated. Lady Genia's position among the royalty of the nation of
Derdlan had been swept away during the summer after Derdlan's
destruction by a surprise, B'vellan invasion. Today she was a
military adviser attached to General Dan's staff.
“Tegan
shows wisdom not weakness.” Afton rustled the correspondence. “I
have peace in my hand. All we have to do is accept.”
“Making
decisions out of fear isn't the Way,” General Dan said. “You
should've let me burn B'vel to the ground while they were
defenseless.”
“After
such a long drought?” Afton asked. “My army was skin and bones.”
“We
would've made it happen,” Joe said quietly. “With the Creator
nothing is impossible.”
“The
prophecies were fulfilled by Derdlan,” Afton said.
General
Trifon shook his head. “It's a double prophecy. Master Meredith-”
“Enough
of her opinions!”
Drem
and Kane, King Afton's sons, shifted uneasily. The Creator had
preserved Master Meredith through time by the gift of stasis.
The council among those privy to her research of the prophecies of
High Priest Edeldhard agreed with Dan and Trifon's assessment.
“Father,...”
Drem began.
“We're
going to have peace,” Afton said. “No more war. The drought's
over. The season was short but the harvests adequate for the winter.”
Dan looked into the distance as if hearing an unheard voice. “Very
well, your Majesty. In three days I leave Yesh. I'll return in the
spring to resume maneuvers with the army.”
“I
appreciate your counsel, General, but for the good of the nation, I
have to work for peace.”
“This
won't end well,” Genia said through a dark expression.
*
* *
“Are
you following me home?” Marion could have translocated from
the castle but wanted to walk, a habit picked up during the Marhelan
War when the populace needed the sight of Messengers to give courage.
“In
your dreams,” Genia replied, coming up alongside him. “Why didn't
you speak up? Afton listens to you. I'm right about B'vellah. Rumors
say Easten won't be the end.”
Marion
frowned. He'd heard whispers of raids in Marhel and even the
assassination of a minor lady. That she was Queen Tegan's cousin
wasn't lost on him. Within weeks of the event, B'vellah's most
accomplished general had been poisoned. Raids into Marhel had
stopped. B'vellah's troop movements near the border had not.
“If
he won't listen to Dan,...”
“I
hate this,” Genia said as they exited the front doors of the palace
to begin the long walk to the gate. A hardened path curved
gently through lush, neatly trimmed grass. “He's making a mistake.
What do you know about Prince Kane making an official visit to
Marhel?”
“For
real?”
“Are
you mocking me?”
“Genia,
relax.” Marion stopped and touched her arm, trying to give her the
peace of the Creator given to Messengers. Sometimes it worked. Other
times it didn't.
She
flinched and scowled. “Don't Messenger me.”
Marion
repressed a smile as he remembered the many times he'd been in a
similar position. “You need a clearer head.”
“I
need vengeance!”
“Vengeance
belongs to the Creator. What you need is forgiveness.”
“Easy
for a Messenger to say.”
“True.”
“Are
you leaving with General Dan?”
Was
there a hint of worry in her voice? Marion searched his spirit. “No.
Afton's path is rocky.”
“What
does that mean?”
Marion
shrugged. “I'm not sure. There's a time for peace, and a time for
war. Afton's B'vellah course lately hasn't been based on trusting.”
“I
see.”
They
paused at the gate, which opened by a spirit working to allow them
passage. Guards flanked either side. Genia began a translocation.
“Where
to?”
“I
need some time alone.”
“You
spend too much time alone.”
“Will
you be at Molido later?”
Marion
shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Then
I might see you there.” And she was gone.
Marion
shook his head and continued toward his apartment in a new tallhomes
within sight of the palace. If war broke out before Genia came to
grips with her bitterness, she wouldn't survive a month.
