History is something that we take for granted in our modern world, where almost everyone is literate and has received at least some form of education regarding the origins of civilization, and what we do not know for certain from historical records, we can still make educated guesses. The history of Jenusia is something that the common Jenusian has no clear idea of, less than a tenth of Jenusians can read and write from what Goer told us, and he seems to take great pride in being one of the few citizens of Krilos who has the privilege to learn about Jenusian History. We spent many days studying Rahlian and when the time came to end our lessons I would ask Goer a few questions in order to sate my own curiosity. Rahlian is a language which is completely different from English so learning it was quite difficult originally, but as soon as I got the foundational words down and could formulate questions to clarify what I didn’t understand I began to learn at an accelerated pace. I almost made the mistake of bringing too much attention to myself but thankfully Leigh asked me one day how I found learning Rahlian to be so easy and when I tried to make it seem like it was just beginner’s luck he did not seem to believe my words. I decided it would be best not to make the Jenusians understand my true capabilities when it came to learning and acted in a way to make it seem that I was struggling with learning the language, like the others in class 10-B.
Mr. Phillips no longer acted as an interpreter for Goer and instead took on a role of a sort of teacher’s assistant, we were now caught up to him in terms of our knowledge of the language. On the fifth day we were finally going to be getting a lesson not in Rahlian but in Jenusian history. The lesson began with an almost mythological tale of the first ruler of Jenusia who was named Emperor Raego, who led the Jenusian people to break off the tyrannical rule of what the Jenusians called ‘the Khezzat’. It seems the Jenusians and their origins date back before the founding of the Jenusian Empire, with the current year in Jenusia being 839, with them beginning the count at the founding of the Jenusian Empire. The Khezzat were some foreign people who were very powerful in the past but more than 800 years ago Raego Jenusia united the lands around Krilos and declared independence from the Khezzat. Goer spoke of this tale with a proud expression on his face and kept making statements which were not based in fact such as the fact that the Jenusian Royal family are blessed by the gods and that they were given the right to rule the Jenusian people by them as well. This reminded me of some of the monarchs of Earth who claimed a mandate from some deity to rule over others and it was both a shame and lucky that our history teacher, Dr. Watkins was not one of the teachers who supervised Athletics Day.
Goer then spoke about the mythical ‘unifications’ that the subsequent Emperors undertook and by which I mean they conquered the neighboring people and established a vast empire that dwarfed all other states around them. From the other details that Goer let slip during the first lesson regarding Jenusian History it seemed that the Jenusians are very haughty and believe their people and culture to be superior to those around them. This did not sit well with some of my classmates who were brought up in America as such values are seen as abhorrent in the west. The whole tale of the founding of Jenusia seems to have a lot of embellishment and propaganda involved with the biggest question being how can a state go from a subservient one to an Empire in a single generation. It would be one thing if Raego was some sort of subservient king to the Khezzat before he became the Jenusian Emperor but from what Goer is telling us about the history of Jenusia, Raego was someone who achieved the blessing of the gods and with such a blessing united the Jenusian people into one.
This then begs another question, were the Jenusian royal family named after the Jenusian people? Or was it the other way around? I just hoped that at some point in the future once my Rahlian was better that we would be given access to the books the royal family no doubt had somewhere.
The rest of the class went on with nothing of note but the more Goer spoke of his people’s origins the more I got the feeling that the Jenusians were not that friendly with the other peoples on Euphelia. If this was the case, then why were they being so cordial with us? We are as different from the native Jenusians as can be, and yet they were treating us as respected guests instead of some barbaric foreigners who do not know the glory of Jenusia. This is yet another question to add to the backlog as I still had no idea of the motives of the Jenusians and it would be prudent to take their amicable intentions at face value until events developed otherwise.
The class for the day ended and there were plenty of times when someone would not understand the words that would come out of Goer’s mouth. One word I found particularly interesting was ‘Rimon’. When Gloria one of my classmates asked him for clarification in regards to this term which Goer said with a lot of malice in his voice he tried to explain as best he could but we still could not understand, Mr. Phillips included. Apparently the ‘Rimon’ whoever they were, were some kind of hostile group to the people of Euphelia, not only the Jenusians. Goer spoke of conflict with these ‘Rimon’ where multitudes of people perished, with the humans of Euphelia eventually triumphing over the dastardly Rimon and becoming the dominant race on Euphelia.
My first thought was that the Rimon were some kind of other race of humans but when I asked Goer if they were people with a different skin tone to us he was adamant that from what he had read, the Rimon may have had some traits in common with us but had other traits such as massive wings, or long teeth that disproved my theory that the peoples of Euphelia engaged in some genocidal race war more than a thousand years ago. At the mention of appendages which humans lacked my mind drifted back to the massive bear which Goer told us was called an ironclaw that attacked our convoy on the way to Krilos. Could these Rimon be some kind of evolved version of monsters that existed in the past? Just thinking about a combination of the ironclaws' power with human intelligence is enough to scare me. Seeing my distraught expression Goer said that there was nothing to worry about and that there are no Rimon within the borders of the Jenusian Empire, although from what he has heard there may still be some elsewhere on Euphelia.
Dinner in the main hall was a lot more loud than usual with the other students likewise having just left their first class on the history of Jenusia. Many people were discussing this and that regarding the contents of the students' classes and surprisingly it seems that everyone was taught the same thing by all the Jenusian teachers. Was there some sort of school curriculum in regards to teaching people? If so, that would be quite impressive for a medieval society. The teachers on the other hand were a lot more skeptical than the teenage students, Mr. Hendricks in particular had such a weird expression that even I who had never really spoken to him had a desire to ask him if he was alright. At the end of our meal, Mr. Hendricks asked for the attention of everyone present and began to speak to us while standing on one of the benches near the middle.
“Good evening everyone, I wanted to speak to you all in order to prepare you for some of the things that you might be seeing in the near future. Jenusia is such a different place from America that I myself, who is already an adult, was quite shocked when I saw some of the things that seem normal to those who live here. I don’t know how to exactly explain this but just be forewarned that there exist ways for people to do things that we would consider akin to magic or sorcery. When I went to have an audience with the Emperor of Jenusia, they asked us if we as well could perform such miracles for lack of a better term. I ask that you act respectfully should you hear or see things that you might disagree with, it will be difficult I understand, but we cannot afford to offend the Jenusians and their government at present. When I explained to Kuvira that you guys are not yet adults and are just kids and as such might say or do things that they do not approve of, she explained that in this land you are considered adults at the age of 16, and as such I would like to say again, be careful.” He ended his speech with a pleading expression, deeply worried by the fact that he cannot protect the children who for all intents and purposes, he was responsible for.
As he sat down at the teacher’s table some of them seemed just as worried as he, and Ms. Cardoza gave him a supporting pat on the shoulder to convey that she too shared his worries.
I already considered that the native Jenusians are quite different to the people back home and as such always thought twice before taking any action or saying anything that might upset them but it seems I wasn’t worried enough. Sorcery? Magic? Could such things really exist in this world? I know found myself wishing that I had read a bit more fantasy books in order to understand how to broach such a subject with the native Jenusians but if even Kuvira who accompanied us and looked like a delicate lady could wield such power, it would mean that many people who before I would not have considered dangerous most definitely could be. It also explained why Kuvira was so calm when the ironclaw attacked our camp on the road to Krilos, she was probably confident in her own abilities and as such saw no need to panic at the appearance of the beast.
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Some of the students with wild imaginations restarted the dinner conversations with discussions about the supposed sorcery and magic that existed in this world. I myself was not a stranger to such thoughts, if people could really draw out such fantastical power then it was crucial that I learned to do so as well. Only by being equally as powerful as the native Jenusians could we hope to stand our ground in dire circumstances.
***
The Royal Palace of Jenusia had a very sinister appearance at night, with the columns and outer walls reflecting the moonlight that shone down upon them. Within the confines of the palace, the ruler, Blyn Jenusia was in his private study awaiting the appearance of a very important guest.
There was a knock on his pristinely carved door and he went to open it up to see if his daughter had finally arrived. He had not waited for long, but as a ruler he found that there was not enough time in a day for a busy man such as himself. When he opened it he found that his expected guest had arrived so he gestured for her to enter before closing the door, making sure that their conversation could not be overheard, even by the guards standing outside.
It was at this point that Kuvira Jenusia dropped all pretense and leapt into her father’s arms, hugging him tightly. She could only show her affections for her family in private settings, as it was not permissible for others to touch the Emperor before the eyes of his people. She kept hugging him for a time, all the while Blyn returned her hug. Eventually she stepped away a few paces, before turning her gaze at the parchments on her father’s desk.
“Do you really have to look at these reports so late at night? I swear you could just dump most of these papers on Eric and he would happily take care of them, just as grandfather used to do.” She said.
Blyn gave his daughter a smile, something he had been doing less and less as the years passed. Blyn was in his late forties and it seemed that at his current workload, he would look more and more haggard as time went on.
“These matters must be overseen by trusted individuals, and as you well know my beloved daughter, I do not trust that snake Eric Varma…” Blyn said, his expression turning bleak near the end.
“I thought you took care of his powerbase long ago father, surely he would not dare to take any drastic action if you entrusted some of your work to him. He might even feel it is an insult, which is all the more reason to do so” She said while holding an innocent smile.
“How you could be so evil is truly a mystery, neither I nor your late mother could ever raise such a devilish girl” He replied, mirroring her expressions.
“Enough of that your majesty, it’s time we discussed what I came here for” She said.
“True enough, I would like to get at least a little bit of rest before the jackals come knocking on my door in the morning” He replied, moving to the chairs near the fireplace, the usual gathering spot for him and his daughter.
They sat down opposite each other, with some tea already being prepared for them, expecting that their conversation would drag on for a while.
“So tell me dear Daughter, were there any complications on your quest to the Irid Forest?” He asked, his tone turning more authoritative.
“Not anything I couldn’t handle, the summoning went off without a hitch, you have already seen that your investment of vast resources in the summoning has yielded returns beyond our expectations. I trust you can see that the number of the summoned presents us with a great opportun-” She replied, before being cut off by Blyn.
“Gah, you can’t be serious can you?! We have planned for there to be 10 guardians and you now suggest we should increase those numbers?” He said, becoming more irritated by his daughter’s suggestion.
“Nothing of the sort, my suggestion isn’t to increase the number of guardians but rather to keep the rest of the summoned in reserve, we should prepare them in the exact same way as the chosen guardians, we will mold them to be able to step in and take over should anything unforeseen happen with them.” She finished explaining.
“Hm… your idea is interesting Kuvira, but why would we prepare all of them? There are more than three hundred summoned, it would be a great expense for the treasury” He stated his concerns, already expecting his intelligent daughter to have thought of such concerns.
“Yes, it will be a substantial sum, but you should view this not as an expense, but rather an investment that will allow you to have firm control over the guardians, when they are ready.” She replied.
Blyn decided to pause for a moment and evaluate his daughter’s suggestions, before deciding on his own plan.
“I understand your proposal regarding keeping them close at hand, but surely we could just imprison the ones who do not make the cut, we could then use them to threaten the guardians into compliance.” He explained his thoughts on the matter.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You truly do not understand the delicate manner in which we should deal with this group. I have spent more time among them than you have, so I hope you will listen to my next words carefully. The summoned are not a random group of people from the same place, they are a group of scholars and students who have spent a long time together, and as such we should assume that any action of ours will impact the group as a whole, no matter what we do. On the way to Krilos, our camp was attacked by an ironclaw and one of the summoned died. The grief and sense of loss among them was greater than you would see if such a thing were to happen here. We must take a firm stance when we must, but a softer hand is preferable in all other situations.” She ended her explanation.
Blyn Jenusia sat back in his decorated chair and began to think on the words of his most trusted confidant. He had ruled the Jenusian Empire for over ten years now, and she was the one who he trusted the most after the death of his wife in a political scheme all those years ago. Blyn was not meant to be the Emperor, being the second son of Emperor Gian. His elder brother was set to inherit the throne, but he did not wish to have his destiny be playing second fiddle to his incompetent older brother. He made contact with the appropriate players in the Jenusian political arena, and maneuvered his brother into an early grave not knowing that his brother had already caught on to his machinations, and decided to send a warning by poisoning his wife. Growing up without a mother skewed his daughter’s personality, and ever since she came of age four years ago she had been acting as an important advisor to him.
Seeing that her father was not entirely convinced by her plan, she decided to target the biggest flaw in his personality.
“You know, some of the girls who we summoned have an appearance unlike any that I have ever seen. Even though I have traveled to the Talri Kingdom and the Yas lands, they truly are more exotic than the people found there. You could take them for yourself with the right incentives, or even use them as ‘gifts’ for your most ardent supporters…” She tried to lure her father’s thoughts towards an angle he would find personally advantageous.
“Your words have merit, but it would have to wait. The court does not yet know of any specifics regarding the summoning, such a thing has not been attempted for centuries but you know very well that it is our best path to stability in these turbulent times. It has been over 200 years since our Empire expanded, and the tenets of Raego were clear, ‘Expand or perish’.” Blyn replied, already wishing for a personal visit to the mansion of the summoned.
Kuvira had already planned out the grand reveal of the summoned, it would be done in at least another month to allow for them to behave appropriately at such a function, and have the ability to converse with those nobles who would wish to do so. This reveal would be some sort of religious ceremony, followed by a feast. Unfortunately for the summoned, the nobles attending the feast would be presented with a glimpse of the exotic and foreign, and they could be goaded into any sort of action for the sake of receiving a ‘piece of the pie’.
She decided to clarify her father’s plans, as even she, who was his most trusted confidant, did not have a full view of the emperor’s machinations.
“I know you sent me into the priesthood of Gera in order to keep away unwanted noble sons from me, but I do not have the prestige to preside over such an important event. Perhaps it is time to inform Grand Prelate Hoss of their appearance?” She asked
“Foolish girl, do you think that worm Hoss is unaware of what has transpired? It is the Priesthood of Gera that provided us with the details of how to perform such a summoning, and their price for such knowledge was not insignificant. I believe at least some of the priesthood will demand to be given a few summoned to train in their ways. Having a ‘messenger of the gods’ give support to the corrupt priesthood will fool all the stupid commoners into believing in anything and everything…” Blyn replied, already seeing the consequences of his deal with the priesthood in the future.
Kuvira was surprised at this information, and was quite upset with her father for keeping her out of the loop on such an important detail.
“I did not know that you had come to an agreement with them, my apologies, but this presents us with yet another opportunity father…” She smiled, already seeing her future schemes coming to fruition.