The Message
“Majesty, you have visitors.”
The tallish figure standing in the bath as the attendants scrubbed away the dirt did not move. Instead, the man received a question in response, spoken in a dull, disinterested tone.
“Do I?”
“Yes. They are from outside,” he said, drawing out the last word for emphasis.
The figure held still a few moments before the regal features of the Emperor turned enough to cast the startling blue eyes his way. “Oh?”
“Yes,” the man said, stepping toward the table next to the bath.
The Emperor was not concerned about nudity, and gave the man no further attention as the women began to rinse the soap from pale golden flesh.
“They possess a letter, I am told,” he added slowly.
The slight shift in attention told the steward that he now had his ruler’s full attention. Encouraged and knowing the potential importance, continued.
“The advocate claims it contains the symbol.”
“Are you certain,” the Emperor said, those vivid eyes focused on the steward through the mirror nearby. The women began to pat their Liege dry with soft towels made from the finest of fine cotton.
“I have not seen it myself, Emperor, but their advocate is Gravina.”
A slow nod was followed by the attention of the Emperor being shifted to look out the window to the side. “Gravina is well-informed. Highly ambitious. I wish you to be sure. See it for yourself. If this is true, have them all given hospitality and have meal a prepared immediately,” the figure instructed plainly, as if this were some trivial matter.
“You realize what this means, Majesty.”
The incredibly blue eyes were focused on some point faraway, but a nod was given. “I am well aware, Lias.”
The steward nodded and quickly departed, leaving the lonely ruler to prepare for the guests. They both knew Gravina was no fool. If she said it was true, then it was almost certainly so. But this would pose a hardship on the beloved Emperor. Centuries had passed waiting, now, out of the blue, the true trial would begin.
Earlier…
“Are you sure this is the right way? There’s nothing for miles,” Ayna whined, looking around as they continued forward on a road that had not appeared to have seen use in centuries. If not for the stones between the tall grass clumps, they’d have never been able to follow it.
“Quit complaining,” the brunette next to her said, swatting at her ponytail. “It’s me and the big guy lugging most of the weight,” he reminded her, shifting the large pack on his back.
“It’s just that there’s nothing,” she said, frustrated. “We’ve been walking for miles and all we’ve seen is this barely visible road that hasn’t seen people in who knows how long.”
“The map said this way, so we’re going this way,” the brunette told her firmly. “We’ve got to drop this message off. You heard the poor guy, it’s urgent.”
“I’ve never even heard of this Emperor, though,” she argued. “The Thesian Kingdom?”
“I have,” the large, auburn haired man stated. “Old legends talk of a kingdom that vanishes upon the death of their Emperor many hundreds of years ago. My grandfather told me stories that had been passed from generation to generation. It brought in a great golden age of peace and prosperity. It was said that it vanishes when the existing Emperor dies, the entire Kingdom fades away to mourn, and will return when the new Emperor’s life partner has been chosen.”
“Who does the choosing,” the younger man wondered.
“The Gods, I would assume,” the broader man responded.
“So when was the last time they vanished,” the girl wondered.
“Over a thousand years ago, according to our records,” he answered.
“Well, they must have gone through several Emperors by then,” Aldrin, the dark haired man commented.
Rolf shook his head. “The Emperor cannot die until an heir is born. It is said that the gods have chosen their family for specific reasons and have created the magic that protects them.”
“Wait,” Ayna said, stopping abruptly. “There’s a king who’s been alive a thousand years waiting for his love to appear?”
Rolf nodded, eyeing the smaller woman oddly. “Emperor.”
“Oh, wow. This is great,” she announced, suddenly walking much more quickly. “A lonely Emperor – maybe I’m the lucky girl!”
Rolf rolled his eyes and resumed walking forward. Aldrin shook his head as he caught up.
“That girl is a mess. If she is, though, I’m leaving. I can’t imagine her being in charge will be pretty.”
Rolf barked a laugh and nodded in agreement. “I agree.”
“Come on, you spoilsports! My destiny awaits!”
Aldrin scoffed. “You assume he’d want you,” he called out after her. “He’d be crazy.”
Rolf snorted, but the two men did catch up to Ayna regardless. Another hour passed and the sun rose to it’s apex. They stopped and settled down in some shade to eat their mid-day snack and rest for a bit. They talked and laughed, enjoying each other’s company, but as they were getting ready to resume their journey, a tall, cloaked figure appeared on the path not far from them. His cloak was a shimmering black, with intricately detailed patterns around the edges.
“Sun Elf,” Rolf whispered to the other two.
Ayna’s eyes widened before looking at the figured with renewed interest. “I’ve never seen a Sun Elf before. They’re really tall!”
Aldrin scrambled to his feet and stood, eyeing the taller figure who stopped and turned their head to regard the group momentarily before lifting gloved hands to draw back the hood. Platinum blond hair spilled down the figure’s back, glinting in the light like fine strands of the precious metal. Golden eyes peered at them from a face so delicately carved, it would seem a strong wind might damage the finest details. At roughly seven feet tall, he presented an almost otherworldly being, far above the mundane lives others lived. It wasn’t until they spoke, it became possible to determine the figure’s gender.
“You have been sent here?”
The musical lilt of his voice enraptured Ayna, her gaze on him full of wonder and awe. Rolf pushed to his feet as Aldrin eyed him speculatively and nodded.
“How did you know?”
The elf smiled slightly. “This path only appears to those destined to follow it.”
Ayna piped up excitedly. “We were sent to deliver a message.”
The elf remained silent as he looked the trio over. “You are not the destined courier,” he stated evenly.
“We ran into a man who was dying,” Rolf responded to explain. “He said it was urgent and asked us to get this to the Emperor.”
The elf nodded slowly. “May his soul find peace in his new life,” he stated, making the gesture of respect for the dead. “It would seem we seek the same person. We should travel the rest of the distance together. Some might attempt to prevent us to reach our goal, and there are still hours between here and there.”
“That would be great,” Ayna almost squealed in delight. “I’ve never seen a Sun Elf before. Can I ask you questions? Like, what’s your name?”
“Elian,” he said quietly, eyeing the young woman cautiously.
“I’m Ayna,” she said excitedly. “The big guy is Rolf and this one,” she added, nudging the dark-headed man with her elbow, “is Aldrin.”
Elian studied her as though she were a strange curiosity before he acknowledged the two men with the universal sign of greeting – arms bent at the elbow, palms up parallel to the ground. The other three made the same gesture.
His gaze focused back on Ayna, again with that curious look. “What do you know of what lies ahead?”
“Just what Rolf toward me,” she answered with a shrug. “Some fancy-shmancy Emperor is coming for his wife and bring a time of fortune or something.”
The elf gave Ayna a look that seemed a mix of shock, horror, and dismay.
Rolf paused in the middle of packing and squinted at Ayna. “That’s not what I said!”
“Well, that’s what I got from it,” she said with a wave of her hand.
“I’ll be surprised if they let you in,” Elian muttered.
Ayna gave him a confused look. “Why wouldn’t they?”
“This place is sacred,” he explained like a teacher to a child. “We should go, though,” he added as he glanced at the sun. “I can explain things to you on the way,” he finished, looking back at Ayna. “My people have always served the Emperor, so we learn about the Thesian kingdom as children, and spend time there as youths. I remember it well, in fact.”
Ayna’s eyes widened. “You’ve been there,” she asked breathlessly. “Really?”
“Of course,” he answered, glancing between the two me. “Presuming it does not bother either of you.”
Rolf smiled as he hoisted his pack over his shoulder. “I love the old stories. My grandfather and father used to tell them often.”
Elian smiled at that. “Good. Perhaps it is good we travel together; I can prepare you for what lies ahead of us.”
Aldin nodded. “I could stand for some of that right now. I have no idea what we’re doing. I thought this was just a simple drop-off.”
As the group of four began their way together, Elian began to explain this mysterious Empire of Thesian they were headed to.
“Thesia has existed since before the founding of my home city of Lleyan, the first founded city. It has always been ruled by a member of the first Emperor’s family, who are descended from the God King, Soldetoun, and a woman who was a Sun Elf /Tauran mix. Their first child, a daughter, was granted the gift of wisdom from her father. Each of his brothers and sisters blessed her as well, with gifts of patience, courage, strength, empathy, love, extended life, and one that is unknown. Then, she was given a task: to take care of those the Gods had created that live on the lands.
She bore many children and sent them out into the world to reach the many tribes and bring them under her wings. Like a Great Mother, she loved and nurtured all of the many children of the Gods and brought upon us many centuries of peace. But, even they are not immortal, and the first Emperor died. The following day, Thesia vanished, and remained missing for nearly a hundred years. When it returned, one of her sons had taken her place and now bore the power of his mother. A woman was soon found who seemed destined to rule by his side, and so they were married and lived long and happy lives.
Thus, the chain had begun. Each time the old Emperor died, Thesian would disappear, then would reappear. When it did, the new Emperor’s spouse would be found, and the cycle continued. No one knows how the change of power works, but it is known that the most worthy of the Emperor’s children will be the one who returns as the new Emperor. They who are most like their forebear, and will rule justly, as the Gods have decreed.”
“Where does this place go?”
“No one knows. Even the citizens cannot say where, as they are not even aware they have moved. To them, nothing has changed, while we see the land empty of any sign that there were ever farms or cities present. I must warn you, though, the people there are different than what you are used to. The empire has it’s own customs and formalities. The societal structure is also different. Farmers, for example, are treated quite well, and it is considered as honorable a profession as a scribe or a councilor. Those who perform labor are well compensated for their efforts. A builder or smith will make almost as much as a healer. Social hierarchy is also different. Status is determined by reputation, not wealth or birth. The most respected wear an emblem similar to the royal seal and is granted by the Emperor themselves, or one of their trusted representatives. It’s a formal recognition of their contribution to society.
Don’t get me wrong, things are not perfect. but it is a very peaceful and safe place, by and large. People there think a bit differently, because they’ve always lived in a prosperous place with fewer struggles than the outside world. You won’t see vagrants or beggars, for example.”
He continued, pausing as the others peppered him with questions about this strange place. The way Elian described it, it was as close to living with the Gods as one could get. It seemed a wondrous place with people who had advanced knowledge and plentiful resources. People were respectful of each other, and judged on merit. Those who rose had worked to get there and not by the luck of birth. It all sounded so perfect.
Rolf and Aldrin glanced between each other many times during the elf’s descriptions of the place, neither convinced they were hearing the full truth. Something was off, though they didn’t feel it was prudent to speak about it with the elf, who had better hearing than they did, so close by. Still, their looks spoke the volumes their mouths could not. Ayna, though, seemed oblivious to the situation. In fact, she seemed enraptured by him, hanging on his every word.
They stopped briefly a few times to rest and drink water over the next several hours. At some point, even Ayna stopped talking for a bit. Rolf quickly got the elf’s attention, essentially bumping Ayna out of the way to walk back with Aldrin. Ayna didn’t seem to mind, though, as she simply listened in. Eventually, she began a conversation with Aldrin, excited about this magical place they’d hardly heard of before they happened upon the wounded man yesterday. Ayna loved a good story, seeing new places, meeting new people, and anything exciting. Aldrin and Ayna came from a village that was three days with a cart from a small city, but with only a few thousand people, it wasn’t exactly full of wonders. It was pretty stable, which left Ayna craving something different. Something new. Thus, when Rolf was planning to go to Lucidus, one of the major trade hubs, Ayna dragged Aldrin to go with. Their mother would not allow Ayna to leave alone with Rolf, as she was just barely nineteen and very naïve.
Rolf was a warrior, but Ayna was a handful, She was free spirited and willful, letting her excitement get the better of her at times. Aldrin was used to it; as her older brother, he’d grown up with it. The two of the had been close most of their lives. From the moment she could waddle, Ayna had followed him around. Aldrin had enjoyed being the center of attention and admired by his little wide-eyed sister. Rolf had entered the picture when he’d moved in when Aldrin was a freshly minted teen. Of course, everyone had been curious about their new Tauran neighbor. After all, they didn’t see many from foreign lands. Aldrin was fascinated by the big man who was only a decade older than he who carried a big broadax everywhere, strapped to his back. He mimicked the routines the man went through, the training, and everything else that might help him to become a strong warrior like the big man. Of course, that meant Ayna had been around, but she often grew bored and ran around chasing butterflies or examining something – a bug, a flower, a leaf – it didn’t matter. It was easy for her to find wonder in things, but once she’d satisfied her curiosity, she was off to the next thing.
The sun was starting to dip low in the sky when they encountered a man, sitting on a stump on the side of the path. He seemed an innocent figure, strumming on a harp-like instrument that rested on his left thigh. When they neared, the man’s head lifted so he could eye each of the group in turn. When he spoke, the trio noticed a curious lilt to his speech.
“Good tidings, to you. From where do you hail?”
“Elian of Clan Yagrit. Returning to resume my training,” the tall elf answered when the man stared directly t him.
His gaze fixated on the other three. “You have not been here before. Why have you come?”
Rolf looked squarely back at the man. “We found a dying traveler. He gave us a message to deliver to the place. He stated it was urgent, and to go directly into the hands of someone named Yazminare.”
The man’s brows shot up and he sat up straighter. “Then you should hurry. If you move quickly, you can be at the Two Horns Inn in less than half an hour. Ask for Ezikai and he’ll get you the rest of the way more quickly. Tell him what you told me, and he’ll get you where you need to go. Hurry, you’ll want to be at the palace before dark.”
With that, he resumed his playing, as if they were no longer there, and the group continued forward at a more rapid pace. Before they got too far, Ayna turned to wave, but the man wasn’t there anymore. She nudged Aldrin. “The man disappeared.”
Aldrin looked back and didn’t see him either, so he shrugged. “If there are Gods here, I suppose they could be anywhere.”
“Or it’s magic,” Ayna whispered conspiratorially. “Where do you think he went?”
“Maybe you only see him when you approach,” Aldrin suggested.
“Oh, like a guardian of the gate! Or, road, in this case,” Ayna responded excitedly. “I wonder where he went, though? Is he just invisible, or did he go somewhere else?”
The siblings chatted on as Rolf and Elian talked between themselves. But, just as the musician stated, roughly half an hour later, the reached the peak of a hill and spotted the aforementioned inn. Across the road lay a settlement with a couple dozen houses. The road turned from dirt to stone just before the T junction feet from the inn’s door.
What they found when they entered was somewhat familiar to them, though they’d never seen one so clean, nor with customers who were all fresh and clean, with clean clothes that appeared all but new. Many heads swiveled to see who came in the door, but quickly left them as people returned to what they were doing. A young, busty woman came to meet them with a bright smile.
“Would you like a table? Perhaps food or drink?”
“We’re looking for someone named Ezikai,” Rolf explained.
The woman’s smile widened before clapping her hands together. “Wonderful! Please follow me.”
She led them toward the back of the inn to a smaller table where a lone man sat. “It’s a shame you didn’t arrive earlier, but the palace is awash with color as the sun goes down, so it’s still a beautiful sight. During the day, though, you really get the full impact of the place. It really is stunning. But, it was crafted by the gods for Great Mother, so it’s very special and stunning any time of day or night.”
“Great Mother,” Ayna asked curiously.
The woman turned and shot Ayna a soft smile. “The First Emperor.”
Ayna’s eyes widened, only not catching onto the details she’d heard earlier. “Emperor is used for both men and women?”
The woman laughed, and they reached the table immediately afterward. Ayna’s attention was immediately diverted to the man. He sat back and studied the group before motioning them to sit down in front of him. The man then gave the woman a gesture with three stubby fingers before she turned and walked away. As his gaze shifted back to his visitors at the table, Ayna’s head swiveled about as the men all took time to study this Ezikai.
He wasn’t a big man, by any sense of the words, but he looked strong. Ezikai had a round nose, full lips, and curly reddish-brown hair under a plain brown round hat. His clothes were similar to Aldrin’s – a simple, clean white tunic, dark trousers tucked into tall boots, and a vest – but the vest was a different cut and was silken blue with velvet green stripes. A golden-yellow thread provided beautiful, yet somehow masculine, edging. His eyes were a clear, forest green, with far more wisdom than what his apparent age would allow.
“It’s been some time since we’ve had outside visitors. So, what brings you here? Specifically, why do you wish to go back to the palace,” he asked, looking between the group.
Aldrin piped up. “Rolf, Ayna, and I were making our way to Lucidus when we happened on a man who’d been stabbed and was dying. He handed us a message and insisted we get it to someone called ‘Yazminare’. So, we told him he would.”
“Ah, honoring a dying man’s last wish. Very honorable of you,” he commented before focusing on Elian. “And you? The Sun Elves have yet to be called.”
“I was here when the late Emperor was alive. I am returning to continue my training.”
“Hmm,” the man hummed with a nod. His eyes shifted to Ayna and his expression softened. “You’ll find much to feast your eye on, young Miss. Thesa is a wondrous city with many sights you’ll see nowhere else. The Emperor’s gardens are stunning with plants that grow nowhere else.”
Ayna gave him a bright smile of excitement. “Really? Like what?”
“There’s a flower called ‘fusia’ that has these vivid pink flowers that cascade down the planters. There’s this one with tiny purple flowers on stems so thin they’re barely bigger than a horse hair, but they are vines and spread out everywhere. There are are thousands more. You’ll need to see it to believe it. It’s magnificent.”
“Oh, can we,” she asked her brother excitedly.
Aldrin grinned at his little sister. “Of course Ayna. I wouldn’t dream of telling you no one something like that.”
Rolf chuckled to himself, shaking his head. He looked at Ezikai, grinning. “The little lass has a thing for plants.”
“And bugs,” Aldrin pointed out. “Anything that shines, shimmers, or glows.”
Ezikai smiled. “The gardens will certainly be a great treat. Perhaps you should become a gardener or botanist,” he added and directed to Ayna. “A wealthy person pays good money for people in those fields. After all, who else can make their yards and gardens look so magnificent.”
Ayna’s eyes bugged out. “Really? Oh, Mama would be so happy if I were able to do that!” She looked at her brother. “Do you think Papa would approve?”
“Papa would be proud no matter what you did,” Aldrin assured her.
That made Ayna smile, reassured with his affirmation. She turned back to Ezikai and clasped her hands in her lap. “So, how do I learn that?”
“Your advocate will help you with all that when you’re at the palace,” he informed her.
Ayna was immediately confused, along with her male compatriots. “My advocate?”
After being silent a long while, Elian finally spoke up. “Advocates are like… guides, in a way. They put you in communication with who you need to be, they advise you on customs, guide you wherever you need to go, help you through any legal or other administrative concerns; that sort of thing. Every visitor is assigned one for the duration of your stay, or up to a half year.”
“So, we’ll have someone to help us when we arrive,” Rolf reiterated, turning his focus to Ezikai who nodded.
“The person that message is for is pretty important, so your advocate will be of significant rank.”
Rolf’s brows shot up. The siblings were paying close attention, perking up with curiosity. Rolf noted, though, that Elian seemed to withdraw. He’d even pulled his hood back up, obscuring his face.
“What kind of important?”
Ezikai just grinned in response and gave the trio a playful wink. “I’ll let that be a surprise. A good one, I assure you.”
