Stars' Light, page 24
“I always used to dream about becoming a warrior. I would dream that a master would show up from far away and whisk me away, and much like the stories of old, it would be an exotic location, with fantastical…” She stopped and just stared at her teacher. “Those stories are about you, aren’t they?” She leaned forward, a small smile creeping onto her face; her grey eyes were twinkling.
“Probably many of them are.” Jorian caught another brief glimpse of her life strand, and its many possibilities. Just a flash as things changed and righted themselves. A piece of himself settled a bit, a piece that had been stuck and obstinate as a realization dawned upon him. A realization that he had taught many students, but had discarded the teachings in himself. If he wanted to see other’s life strands, he would need to study his own. “You are a lot like them, you know. My children and Zorian. I took Zorian as my daughter, even though she was not by blood. It is very personal to me how history has treated her, and what happened with her near the end of her life. It was a mistake to not have trained more Knights, to not have helped in the enlightenment and training of the human generations that have come after me.”
Sarannya sat quietly as her Mirogen spoke.
“Zorian is considered to be the last of the Immortals. She had very little conscious knowledge of what she actually was, but through her training, she was able to reconnect with the One. You don’t consciously know what you are, but you are willing to do the work, and thus, you will be successful. You have the ability to reclaim what was taken from you before you arrived here.” Jorian stopped talking and took another drink. The forge was quiet, and light filtered through the windows, catching the dust motes in the air.
Sarannya got up and hugged him. “I don’t know if I can live up to what she was, but I’ll try to do my best.”
“You don’t have to live up to her; you just need to live up to you. Just be you. Don’t worry about her. So, tell me about the journal. I know that you took it from the library.”
“And why would you know that, my Mirogen?” Sarannya sat back down, a small smile creeping onto her face.
“Because that’s what Zorian would have done. And, it’s what I would have done. So, tell me about the journal.”
“As you wish, my Mirogen.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Asenath sat in her room alone. She had given the orders for her people to start shaping the tunnel for their escape.
She thought back to yesterday. It was early morning, and she was about to open the Burnished Horn. Hearths were being lit to take the morning chill off, linens were being washed in preparation of another night, and she sat alone, thinking about what was going to happen. If she was caught by the enemy, it would be an eternity of torment.
She reached up and ran a hand over her right horn. She was nervous over her proclamation. She knew the General had to accept her offer, and she had meant it. She was finished with this way of being. She wanted more. She wanted to be back in the light and to feel the rush of creation. She wanted to feel something better than sex and destruction. She was tired of lying and deceiving. She wanted to feel true love, and not just lust.
Koios entered his queen’s room. She sat at her desk with her robe bunched around her waist. He always found her alluring and irresistible, even when she was not trying to be. She was staring out the window instead of in the mirror. He found this encouraging.
“It is done. As you know, the General took my hand in redemption, but now we must earn it.” Asenath turned towards her number one. She did not bother to cover up, but she was also not trying to be sexual. Her voice was sad and soft. She sounded exhausted.
“When will the rest of us take the oath?” Koios asked. He, too, was eager to make the change.
“I am assuming soon. The General did not inform me of that. He has a lot of anger towards us. He remembers too much from the old days.” She smiled, absently running her hand over her breast and nipple.
Koios smiled softly and moved forward. He placed his hands on her shoulders and moved them down over her breasts, to her waist. The purple highlights in her eyes glowed for a moment until his hands reached her robe. He smiled at her and pulled her robe up and over her shoulders. Before he stood, he kissed her softly on the lips. “You know that I love you. You know that I will follow you, my Queen. What is it that you need?”
She could still feel his hands sliding over her, and his soft lips touching hers, but she forced herself to focus. “I need you to work with the blacksmith and the boy. Help them to organize the retreat of the city. If you can find out the location of the library, that would also be helpful.”
“Why would you want to know the location of the library?” Koios stepped back from her, his eyebrows raising in alarm.
“This is not what you think. If I can gain access to the library, I may be able to read about others that have done what we are trying to do. I want to know what to expect. What it will be like, and maybe even what we need to do to speed up the process.”
Koios watched her with suspicion. He did not quite know if he believed her. “And how do you plan on us learning this?”
“We shall become an integral part to their plan. Remember, this library is not the only library. There must be another one in Marpesia that also has a lot of books, journals, and the like, that can help us through this new transformation.” She stood up and moved close to Koios, who did not back away. It had been several days since she had fed, and she was getting hungry. “My hope is to either be able to access this library, or the one in Marpesia when we get there.” Her hands softly touched the sides of Koios’s face. She missed his original blue eyes; the shaped, darker orange ones did not quite suit him.
He reached up and took hold of her hands and brought them down between them. “Not until we are whole. You will have to wait, and this waiting will help you to learn how to control your urges, your wants, and your desires. We must learn how to control those, or we are lost to the physical pursuits.” He frowned, feeling arousal take hold of him. He was getting hard, but he forced himself to step away, dropping her hands. He took a deep breath and regained a semblance of control.
“It will not hurt us to rut.” She stepped towards him, opening up the top of her robe, exposing her breasts again.
“No.” He took a step a back, maintaining the distance as best he could.
Asenath stopped; she could feel her emotions about to boil over when she noticed something was different about Koios. Something that she had not noticed before. Her breath sucked in, and she crossed over to him very quickly and ran her hands over his curved horns. She did not touch his face as the horns curved over his ears and along the side of his head. She traced the entirety of the curve in each horn, feeling him shake at her touch.
“You are a credit to us, my Koios,” she said, still looking at his horns. “You are a credit to me. One that I could not do without.” She whispered the last, looking directly into his eyes
Letting go of his horns, she pulled the top of her robe together and stepped back. “Your horns are shorter. Clearly, you are on the right path. I shall endeavor to remain strong, but my desires and wants are large. This is going to be difficult for me.” Her eyes flashed at her admission. She hated to admit weakness, but the truth was the truth, and maybe she could succeed with his help.
He ran his hands over his horns, noting that indeed they were shorter. He turned and leaned into the mirror on her desk to further inspect them. His horns were a duller color as well. His skin had also lost some of its red coloring. It was happening. If he stayed the course, it would happen. He would see his human body again.
He looked at his queen through the mirror. She was resting on his back, her hands on his shoulders, watching as he inspected himself. “There is more. General Penvel would like you to make contact with him. He wants to know if you got his message, and what is your progress.”
“But of course he does. We should not keep the general waiting,” Asenath said with a smirk.
Markos Penvel paced about his tent. He was waiting for communication with Asenath. It was curious that he had not heard from her yet. He always liked working with Asenath. There were benefits that he enjoyed very much. Although, she was a bit capricious. He also knew to tread wearily around her, as she was also a favorite of his master.
Markos turned as a lieutenant stepped inside the tent flap. He bowed low and waited for leave to speak. There was no golden hue to his command horns yet, but they were up and swept back. As he matured, his horns would take on a gold sheen. “Yes?”
“General, the army will be ready to march as soon as you are ready. The tents are down, and we are about to finish up the morning meal.” The young Fallen stayed bowed from the waist, looking at the ground.
“Very good, Lieutenant. Let the Colonel know that I shall be out there shortly.” He turned back to his projection crystal as it chimed, letting him know that communication was being requested.
The lieutenant quickly left the tent. As soon as he was gone, Markos gave the silent command and a beautiful face greeted him. He was hoping for a bit more of a view, but her face was always a delight. Her horns were elegantly swept above her head, the golden hue of them contrasting with the sparkles from her platinum charms. She was almost radiant. This set him on guard.
“General Penvel. It is good to see you lightside. I hope that your transition has been uneventful.” Asenath gave him a shallow nod. She only bowed to one Fallen, and that was almost at an end. She smiled warmly at Markos. Her powers of allure were seeping through the communication, yet she felt his change to one of guardedness.
“Lady Seffora, it is always a pleasure to see you. I am hoping to hear good news about Bosc City.” He bowed his head to her in respect. She was one of the oldest among them, and the first to have Fallen. She had also been one of the first to become shaped. Her abilities at deception and manipulation were legendary. Had it not been for her help, he would not have been able to defeat Azarai in the battle of Cove Pass.
Asenath smiled, her heart beating faster. She knew that he had wanted to see more of her, and she was unsettled by his guarded feel. He must sense that something is different. He might be able to sense that I’ve taken the pledge. “Bosc City is under my control. You shall have no problems when you enter. I shall be expecting you at the Burnished Horn. I am sure there will be a reward waiting for our victorious general.”
“Any word on the throne?” Markos asked. He was feeling uneasy. It was as if he he could feel the light focusing on him; as if he was about to face a Tracian Knight who was still at a distance.
“No. The throne is not here. It must be in Marpesia. Also, there is no word about Tal. He also must be in Marpesia. I would assume that he would not be far from the throne and your escaped Emperor.” Her voice dropped in tone a bit as she stared at him with disgust.
Markos was stunned. How would she know of that failure?
“As you know, I have spies everywhere. Men need girls, and many men are looser in their talk after sex.” Her eyes held some mischief in them as she chastised him. She was letting him know that he was not the only one who held power. She was also trying to keep him off balance, and from looking too closely at what was changing in her.
Her words stung. “Is there anything else you have to tell me?”
“No. The city will be waiting for you when you arrive. I look forward to seeing you again.” Asenath nodded her head, signifying that she was finished with him.
Markos bowed his head, and he gave the command to end communication. The room went a little darker. He stood there for a moment, not quite knowing what to do. He turned and walked from his tent, grabbing his swords from their stand. Placing them in his belt, he nodded to his aides. “Get the tent packed up. We will be marching soon.”
Aiden Mirogen looked up at the imposing pass. Mountains towered on all sides, and a stiff wind was biting at him. He was starting to rethink his plan for traveling with the army as they began their attack on Marpesia. It had taken nearly a week to get the army ready and marching. But, due to the fact that Marpesia was fairly close, they would be there in two days time. It was much easier and quicker to go by horse and carriage, than moving with an entire army, which was mostly on foot.
The empty throne room still bothered him. He dreamt of the throne each night, and the closer they got to climbing the pass, the more the throne was on his mind. He knew that his father had traveled here. No sign had been found of either his father or his brother once they had left the city. It was if they had vanished. The Tals and their secrets. He thought to himself with a scowl. The Red Guard surrounded him while they rode, which made it difficult to enjoy the view.
He rode through the camp as it was being set up. His tent was in the middle, and it was already prepared. It was near his general’s command tent. He dismounted, holding his Mara blade. He stepped inside the tent to find it warm with a brazier lit, and his carpets laid out. There was an empty glass beside a bottle of wine and a plate filled with cheese and meat waiting for him. His manservant came from the rear of the tent into the main audience section and bowed low from the waist. He was an older gentleman, nearing his sixtieth year. His hair had gone white, but he still stood straight and tall.
“Your Imperial Majesty. I have laid out some snacks and wine for your pleasure. I can have a bath ready for you in twenty minutes’ time, if you wish. The water is already heating.”
Aiden nodded his head in affirmation and moved towards his sleeping room. He pushed aside the curtains and entered. He put his sword on the stand. He stared at it for a moment. It was only a Mara blade. He should have an Exirien, but getting one was very difficult, even for an emperor. He sat on his bed. His father’s words kept whispering in his ear. “You will never find the Forges. They are using you to get to me. You will be a puppet for their desires.”
Aiden called for his manservant.
“Yes, your Imperial Majesty?”
“I would like a map of Marpesia brought to me. Also, inform my generals that I would like to speak with them tonight after dinner.”
“As you wish.” The servant rose from his bow and immediately set upon sending the missives.
Later that evening, Aiden strode into the command tent. His three generals were waiting upon him. He was carrying his Mara blade in his left hand. As they stood and bowed to him, he threw the sword on the table with a clatter. Papers scattered.
“This blade is not worthy of an emperor. I will require an Exirien.” He strode around the table to stand at the head. He was wearing the traditional divided pants and the layered top of warriors. He had a wide, red sword belt wrapped around his waist that was embroidered with the Mirogen crest in gold thread.
“My Emperor, you know that the laws of warriorship and the earning of blades is considered sacred. Not even the church can assign blades. Blades must be earned from a master in a sword school.” Aodhán Lir, the general of the Red Guard bowed as he spoke. His eyes never left his emperor’s, though.
“General Lir is correct, my Emperor. You must study and earn the Exirien. It cannot be given, even to an emperor. It has always been this way, since the times of myth and legend,” Erland Valter, first general of the army said, as he picked up the Mara blade from the table. He walked back around and respectfully handed it back to Aiden.
Aiden stood in silence for a moment. The tension eased up in the room, and Aiden took the blade from his general’s hand. Erland did not have to hand over the blade with two hands, as he had earned an Exirien. His rank as a warrior was higher than Aiden’s. “So…now that we have made the pass, what is our plan?” He slid the blade into his belt.
“We wait. More than likely, the Marpesians have laced the pass with traps and the like, to whittle our forces down before we make the first layer of the protectorate. This is what they did during the One-Hundred Day War. In fact, the Imperial forces never made it through the pass. For one hundred days, they tried and died right here at the mouth of the pass. Make no mistake, my Emperor. We are in real danger here,” General Jonas Marian answered, coming around the other side of the table. He began to straighten the maps. Some of them looked old, or like copies of older maps with frayed edges, faded colors, and large creases where they had been folded.
“There are some sources that write about a mythical battle that took place in this pass. A battle in which Cove Pass was breached. Although the battle for the pass was won, it came at a great cost, and the army was broken. It was not able to maintain its momentum to carry through and capture the protectorate.” Aodhán commented, leaning over the maps. He had blond hair and bright blue eyes. He was also fairly tall, and many found him intimidating. He used it to his advantage as often as he could.
“What happened to the army after it broke through the pass?” Aiden asked. He had never heard of this battle.
“My people wrote that the Great King and the Immortal Warrior came on the backs of dragons and destroyed the army. It was a complete route in the end, and the dark army was destroyed, never to rise again. So the myth goes.”
“Dragons? The dark army?” Aiden leaned over the maps from the head of the table, his hazel eyes commanding Aodhán’s attention.
Aodhán continued with the rapt attention of everyone in the room. “It has been said that Marpesia is protected by two means: the Immortal Warrior and the dragons. The dragons left an epoch ago, when the church fell to the warrior class. That part of the story, we all should know well. The dragons disappeared, and have not been seen since the time of myth. We know they once existed from their skeletons that hang in our museums, but Marpesia has not been under attack in over eight thousand years, since King Samouel Mirogen and the One-Hundred Day War.
“The dark army is an army of demons and other things. Humans that became things of the dark, that had forsaken the light and become something...else. My people tell their children these stories to frighten them into behaving correctly.” Aodhán straightened back up to stare at his emperor. Who was staring back at him with a perplexed look on his face.
