Stars' Light, page 7
“I do not know. I feel like I am always in the shadow of everyone around me. Especially Halt. I want people to recognize me for what I am, not what I can give them. You and I both know that I have always felt that Halt should not have been given the crown. But now, I understand father was right in choosing him. I would have torn this empire apart with my jealousy and pettiness. How am I going to get past this?” He was in tears, thinking about all the damage he had done throughout his life.
“You can start by making different decisions. And the first one is, you are going to tell me who actually wrote this treaty, because you didn’t.” She shook it near his face. She was a bit skeptical about her brother’s sudden admission. He never talked formal with her.
“I cannot tell you that!” he half whispered, looking around in fear. “It would put you in danger.” He reached for the treaty.
Tamara stood and moved away from him with the treaty in her hand. “You realize that this treaty would have caused a war, or put you in such a position that Halt would have had to remove you from your duties. You would have lost your place in the empire. Now, I’m asking myself who would benefit most from the Mirogen going to war against the Tatara’s and the Tal’s; or, my brother losing his place in the palace?” Her voice rose to a higher volume than she wanted, but she actually felt safe here, so she did not lower it.
“Shhhh…” He glared at her.
“We’re safe here, but since it has been so long since you or I have felt safe, we don’t recognize it. Who gave this to you? And why?” Tamara rolled the treaty up and retied the ribbon.
Aleksander just stared at her for a moment. “If I tell you this, they will not only kill me, but they will come for you as well.”
“Who?” She stood, staring at her brother fiercely. “Who?” she said again, but more quietly and with more strength.
“They call themselves the Shadow Imperium. They are a secret organization. I have been working for them for decades.” He resigned himself to opening up about all of it.
Tamara stumbled back, shock displayed on her face. She stood in silence.
“Say something!” he insisted.
Tamara was silent for a few more moments, and Aleksander began to have doubts.
“I shouldn’t have told…” He slipped from formal to informal by accident, seeing her reaction. Was she a part of this?
“They came to me when I was twenty-one and tried to recruit me,” she interrupted him. “I told them no, that I was not interested.”
“That was the year your caravan was attacked and all your guards were killed. You never really spoke about it,” he remembered, his tone questioning.
“They dragged me out of the carriage, tied me up, and stripped me. Several of the men had taken their pants down while they were fondling me when a shadow fell over the area. It was like a dark glass was placed over the sun. They dropped me, and I landed very roughly against one of the wheels of the carriage. I remember an inhuman voice that resounded throughout the area, telling them they were all going to die. I figured I was dreaming it, but you saw the light dim when Sarannya took hold of the General’s War Blade. It was the same. When I awoke, I was wrapped in a cloak. A cloak much like what the General has worn to the palace on many occasions, and I was in the back of a wagon, with a doctor who was taking care of me. Some farmers were driving the wagon towards a small town. From there, I was able to send word to the palace, and you remember the rest.
“I have lived in fear ever since. Why do you think I’m always traveling? It makes it harder for them to find me. I have never married, because I was afraid they would come for my children, and I would not be able to stop them. The cries of my men while they died defending me is something I have never been able to leave behind.” She was not looking at him, the disgrace and embarrassment showing on her face.
“Lord Bral is the Immortal Warrior. He must have been the one to have saved you. That would have been forty years ago. I have never known him to look any different than he does right now, other than growing a beard from time to time.”
Tamara was silent, thinking about what her brother had just said. “Your really think so?”
“The War Blade he presented to Sarannya is not the one I’ve seen him carry in the palace. It is much longer, and has different markings on the sheath. The silk wrap is also different. I’m not believing that it was a gift from Masamiria. I’m sure he has blades from Masamiria, but that one is not.”
The two siblings stared at each other in silence; each thinking their own thoughts about what had just come out.
“We have to tell Halt about the Shadow Imperium.” Tamara broke the silence. She moved over and sat back down next to her brother again.
He hugged her close for the first time since they were children. “Of course we do. But, do we tell the General?” Everything was falling into place. He smiled behind his sisters’ back while he hugged her. There was still a bit of an ache in his heart. His own family could have been like the Tatara’s and the Tal’s. How amazing that would have been?
Fatigue weighed Tamara down as she entered her room. It had been a very long day. She glanced over at her bed, just wanting to crawl under the covers and go to sleep. But she knew her middle brother better than most. She paused for a moment, looking at her bags, and sighed to herself, because she knew what she was about to do would split the Imperial line forever.
She crossed the room and opened her satchel, removing a small velvet pouch. She opened it and pulled out her projection stone, a stone no one knew that she had, but one.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sarannya awoke earlier than she was used to. She laid in bed, recalling what she had dreamt. It was all starting to fade, so she began trying to place the events in an order to remember them. She picked up her journal and began to write.
She had dreamt of a woman who was tall, graceful, and lithe, with blonde hair so pale is was almost white. She had fierce, commanding grey eyes that captured you when you looked into them. Sarannya had tried to speak with her, but she had been shushed. In essence, Sarannya felt that she was privy to something that happened a long time ago. This woman and she were in a large wooden building that looked like a monastery. There were thick rugs laid out on the stone floors, tapestries hung about the walls, and stained glass windows let in colored light; all depicted scenes of battle and moments of heroism and courage.
There were many people moving about in armor, and in all the in-between stages of putting their armor on. All were carrying War Blades and were respectful when this girl passed by them, saluting or bowing. Sarannya was fascinated and fixated that many of the warriors were women. The women warriors kept drawing her attention, even though she was trying to follow the tall blonde girl, who did not appear to be much older than her, but she carried herself as someone who was clearly in charge. Her confusion moved into frustration.
“Please! I just want to know what is happening?” Sarannya begged, catching hold of the woman’s arm.
The grey eyes flashed at her, but the woman said nothing, turning away and walking towards the front of the room. Sarannya was going to follow, but stopped, getting the feeling that she should stay where she was, but her curiosity got the better of her. She began to move forward to be next to this girl, who appeared to be in the command chain. The blonde woman made a small gesture with her hand that stopped her.
“Today is the beginning of a new era. Today we shall began the final push to bring peace to these lands and confirm the borders of the One-Thousand Nations.” She spoke loudly, her voice carrying throughout the large room. All movement ceased, and a quiet fell over the hall that Sarannya thought would not be possible with all the people around her in armor and weaponry.
“And what of Sarang? Should we take it first, or are we going to take the borders and slowly strangle it into submission?” A very tall man asked, who was leaning on a very long War Blade.
Jorian spoke from the rear of the room, working his way towards the front. “We shall take the capital city, and then destroy the border garrisons from there. We do not want them holing up in the city, leaving us to lay siege. That would put the populace in more danger than we want. The church will put them in harm’s way anyway, but we must not. We are something more.” The crowd parted for him, giving him a clear view of Zorian. Zorian was smiling at him, and her eyes alighted with happiness upon seeing him.
“Welcome, my Mirogen. I was afraid you would miss our party.” She bowed gracefully from the waist. It was a deep, respectful bow.
“I’m always with you, my Dara.” Jorian made his way through the crowd and passed Sarannya without notice. Sarannya was paralyzed. She watched him brush past her with his two blades, and he was wearing a cloak that was very similar to what he had worn at her party. Under his cloak, he wore armor that looked like it had been darkened by fire, but his movement did not seem to suffer from wearing it. Sarannya kept looking around, noticing the awkward and larger movement that others seemed to have while wearing their armor in comparison to him.
Even with everything happening around her, and Jorian passing by her, Sarannya’s mind also kept coming back to ‘Dara’. This was an old word, a word that meant successor. She remembered reading about it in her history studies of the Mirogen family. ‘Dara’ was a title that was used in the very olden days to distinguish an heir. It also had familial connotation to it. Dara was the feminine form, and in some contexts, it also meant daughter.
Jorian took his place at the front of the room next to Zorian, and looked out at the gathered group of knights. He knew this was going to be a costly war, and it was getting close to another Darkening. If they could pull this off, they might have a chance to unite the human nations against the Fallen that would be released with the disappearance of the light that held them. They needed to train more, but training took time, and each knight was hand selected. It was not something that anyone could do. Well, anyone could, but not everyone was willing to pay the price.
“The fight against us is going to be long and hard. We are attempting to change the world. We shall end the corruption of the church and give the common person a means to move themselves forward out of the karmic cycle. In this, we must be careful to not become what we are fighting against. Remember the Fallen. Guard yourselves well against the temptations that will come. Also, we are coming close to another Darkening.” There was a shifting and murmuring throughout the room. “You are irreplaceable. Please, do what you can to survive. I would rather lose the battle, than lose any one of you. Every blade will be needed when the light fades.” His voice was strong, full of energy, and filled the room. He turned to Zorian and stepped back, placing her in a position of command.
“Make ready. The dragons will be here soon. I have your assignments and will be making my way around the room to hand those out. If you have any concerns, please let me know.” She saluted the crowd. “Get to it.”
“Yes, General.” The knights answered back in unison.
Zorian turned to her Mirogen. “I was afraid you weren’t going to make it. What happened?”
“I traveled to the Paralli mountains. It’s happening again as I feared. The stars are disappearing, and the light is fading; there will be another Darkening.” He shook his head.
Zorian grimaced. “How many Darkenings are we going to have?”
“I don’t know, but this is a dangerous time for the knighthood. Fighting two wars back to back; it could spell the end of us. If we loose to many…” Jorian left the rest unsaid.
Zorian face went slack, knowing that her Mirogen was correct. “This is why I elicited the help of the dragons. With them, we can take Sarang and remove the church to form a stable government. From there, we can begin to plan and prepare for the Darkening. Remember, this is what you trained me for.” she whispered, placing her hand on his shoulder. She was confident in her abilities and her training. She had also found a way to see the possibilities and potentials of what could be. And, she was trying to eliminate the strands that showed them loosing.
Jorian was about to respond, when he felt the whole building shake and vibrate as if in an earthquake.
“The dragons are here!” Zorian quickly moved towards the door.
Sarannya stood silently watching her go with Jorian. She noticed that his face was much more carefree in her dream, but she could see a glimpse of the shadow she was familiar with starting in his eyes. She was about to follow Zorian out when Jorian spoke to himself. “I surely hope this works. It would be nice for her to replace me. I am getting tired.” His voice was low, almost a whisper. He moved past Sarannya without a look, but paused and turned back, looking directly at her. His eyes narrowed, and a smile graced his lips for just a moment and then he was moving out towards the dragons.
Sarannya stepped out into the bright morning light and covered her eyes with her hand. A downdraft lifted her hair and buffeted her clothes. The sun sparkled off gold scales, and a deep baritone voice rumbled out, vibrating her body. She stood in fear and shock. Dragons were myth.
“Lady Mirogen, it is a pleasure to see you.” Syrreth’s long neck snaked down to place his face closer to Zorian, who was standing in an open courtyard that looked like it had been constructed for the very purpose of landing dragons.
Zorian smiled up at him as Martin handed over her War Blade with a reverent bow. Belting her Rimerian around her waist, she responded. “We have another impossible task ahead of us, old friend. We must take the capital.” She looked out at the courtyard before her as dragons began to land and knights began to mount. She always loved to see the majesty and the brilliant colors of the dragons.
“Yes, Lady Mirogen, we do. I am sure that the Girian Knights will not let us land in the capital without effort.”
Zorian nodded her head, chewing on her lip. She turned back to Martin and took her cloak. She threw it around her shoulders and fastened the clasp. She turned back to Sarannya, who was mesmerized, not only having Zorian stare at her, but the massive gold dragon, who also noticed her.
Zorian walked forward, her bright red cloak flowing around her with the handle of King Maker, her War Blade, peaking out. She placed her hands on Sarannya’s shoulders and smiled at her. “Let us get underway. We have a city to conquer and an empire to build.” She said without taking her eyes from Sarannya, though she was clearly speaking to Syrreth.
Sarannya looked up from her journal, her fountain pen suspended above the page when Olivia came in, surprised that she was up.
“Good! You are up. I must say that I am surprised. After how much you drank, I was anticipating a long morning for you.” Olivia moved forward and placed her hand on Sarannya’s forehead, checking her temperature. “Are you sick?” she asked, laughing to herself, but then noticed Sarannya’s journal. She paused for a moment, noting that Sarannya was up and writing.
“You are journaling? I did not know that you enjoyed that.” She stood not far from Sarannya, looking down at her, but not so close as to be able to read the page. She was being respectful of Sarannya’s privacy now that she was an adult.
“I have not been in the past, but I felt like some things needed to be written down. I had a feeling last night that things were changing, and I want to remember the change. I also had a weird dream, and I do not want to forget it. It seemed so real.” Sarannya glanced back down to her journal and the flowing handwriting on the page. She always loved writing, and had taken great care and interest in her calligraphy classes.
Olivia nodded her head and in a quiet voice, commented. “Dreams are sometimes windows into the spirit. Sometimes they are moments of the past. I would not discount any dream, but I would also be wary of dreams. The mind is a powerful tool, and can lead us astray. Anyhow, I will leave you to your work. This has come for you today from the Tal residence. Also, I placed all your gifts in your father’s study to open at your leisure. I am sure that your parents will want to be there, but of course, that is up to you.” Olivia bowed her head and paused for a moment, waiting to be dismissed.
Sarannya just stared back at her for a moment, but then it dawned on her that she was now a Lady of the house. “Thank you, Olivia. That will be all.” Sarannya felt weird dismissing her maid after all the years that Olivia had served her, acting like a second mother. She stood as Olivia turned to leave and hugged her close. “Thank you for all you’ve done for me. I’ll never forget it.” she whispered into the other’s ear, speaking informally to signify their closeness.
“You are very welcome, my Lady.” She curtsied very low, and dipped her head, but there was no hiding the tears that were forming. She quickly left the room, wiping her eyes, but trying to look like she was only straightening her hair.
Sarannya looked down at her journal and decided it was time to soak in the bath.
Jorian awoke just as the sky was beginning to lighten for a new day. Analia was still asleep, but sleep was eluding him. He could not quite get the picture of the young Tatara holding Shadow out of his mind. There was no mistake that she was meant for one. It was much like when Kiril had held Light Bringer; and now, Berett was crafting Kiril’s blade. He would very much have liked to speak with his son. He quietly left the bed and made his way out onto the balcony that looked out onto the mountain peaks and the pass. He grabbed his pipe and tobacco pouch. Wrapping himself in a thick robe, he began to pack his pipe, admiring the view. There were wisps of clouds that reflected back purples, reds, and oranges. It was a beautiful sunrise. There was a chill in the air, signaling that fall was on its way. He smiled to himself, lighting his pipe and taking some long pulls. The smoke wafted around him, the smell reminding him of times long gone.
Pulling himself from the past, he brought himself back to the problem at hand. Sarannya. Zorian wanted him to train her like he trained Eria, her granddaughter. But really, Zorian was asking him to train Sarannya as a monarch. He was to train her to take the throne of humankind, and Kiril was to be trained the same. In essence, he was to train them like he had trained Zorian.
