Despite the best efforts of our manadiversion specialists, no method has been found to curtail the persistent ritual aftereffects of the emergent Astral Throne in Cazoran—the rate of bloodline degeneration continues to rise. While the space-time seal applied on the nascent Spearbreaker’s campaign was exchanged to buy us time per [Isolation Protocol JE-7091], I fear we will be far weaker when the seal breaks than we are now.
– Director of Prospero Station, 23rd Centennial Leadership Summit - Cazoran
Chapter 5 – Winds of Change
Toki broke the Twice clan seal on the vellum. The parchment unfolded. A tumultuous scramble beyond her chamber door hinted at disarray in the world outside, but she paid it no mind, absorbed in the elegant and looping calligraphy of Elara Twice.
Dearest Tokyo,
If this letter finds its way to your hands, it means I have walked. In the coming weeks, you will face sorrow, hardship, and treachery. I won’t risk the secrets that I should have told you in person here, but you must learn them quickly and become ruthless, my child.
Toki realized that this letter included her grandmother’s final words. Toki's breath caught, but her eyes continued to devour the cryptic language. Grandmother, you had nothing BUT secrets. What treachery though? Am I in danger? She continued reading.
Know this, granddaughter. Your flame, though we do not understand its power, holds a small piece of Authority – this you have come to know. The Twice clan will dare not harm you, but they WILL restrain and control you. Do NOT let them. You carry the legacy of us all and hold more power than any of them can fathom.
Toki was concerned. Restrain me? She again continued reading.
You are my protégé and successor. You will be the next matriarch. They will know this, and they will take this from you if you let them. I have trained you as a [Manasmith] and [Strategist] and you must make use of both. Do not neglect my teachings, for I know you far prefer the former. Force your professions into [Enchantress] when you fifty-cap. I have failed in this, as I know only two of the three requirements. Remember them well and find the third:
1. Forge a Class B or higher mortal rank enchantment
2. Negotiate a Class B or higher mortal rank contract
The presence of a merged profession did not surprise Toki, but not even Oberon could forge a Class B enchantment, much less a Class B contract. She had heard stories of legendary hidden combat classes and professions before - they would occasionally reach Alabaster Ring’s rumor mill after all, but never the details.
Toki was more concerned with the prior revelation - how could Elara leave the Twice clan to her. I don’t want this. I won’t be able to be the matriarch. Toki’s head was muddled as she continued reading.
A maelstrom of secrets envelop the Twice clan, secrets which course through your very veins. Even I have not unearthed this truth at its core – out of fear. Within the heart of our forgework lies a deceit most foul, a betrayal that would destroy Aris itself. Do not search for it and do not speak it without your flame if you are to learn it.
As Toki absorbed the gravity of Elara's words, the letter trembled in her grasp. A secret that could destroy the entire planet? The letter continued, but by now, Toki was frustrated and confused.
Force that muddled geezer into submission. He has lost his heart long ago but can be your guide. He will show you the complexity of Cazoran, for I have not shown you the vastness of our worlds.
I believe in you – it’s time for you to believe in yourself. Let not the whispers of doubt extinguish your fire. Now destroy this letter, my love.
Yours,
Elara Twice
Elara was never good at goodbyes. Toki reflected on the letter and heard the banging on her door. Toki quickly opened the oven and threw the letter inside. Not even a minute had passed since she had started the forge reaction, but the heat burned the vellum to a crisp.
Toki’s paranoia peaked as suspicion about the scramble outside earlier edged her thoughts. How could she, in her youth and inexperience, assume the mantle of matriarch? The foxes among the elders would eat her alive. The Twice clan was a venerable entity, its roots sunk deep within the bedrock of their society. And she—she was but a fledgling forger.
The banging grew louder, jolting her from the embrace of introspection. She rose, unlocked and opened her door. Alaric Twice strode into the room, flanked by two somber members of the family. Their eyes swept the rooms.
"Uncle!" Toki gasped, her heart pounding against the cage of her ribs. The raw aggressiveness of the intrusion was palpable, sending waves of tension rippling through the once serene abode.
Alaric's eyes locked onto hers, a storm of emotions swirling within their depths. Regret carved lines around his mouth, and yet, there was an unmistakable fervor that held his spine erect. He hesitated for just a moment, as if grappling with the gravity of the moment, then advanced with deliberate steps toward her.
"Forgive the intrusion, Tokyo," he said, his voice carrying the timbre of urgency. "You must come with us. Now. The elders are restless."
The elders' whispers echoed in her memory, their disdainful snorts at her abilities—a fire considered worthless, an inheritance deemed a jest. But Elara had seen more. Elara had seen potential where she herself even doubted. I don’t trust this. They were watching.
"Where?" Toki managed, her voice steadier than she felt. "Why?"
"Because," Alaric replied, his gaze never wavering, "the conclave has begun, and your presence is not a request—it is a necessity. You know this." His words hung in the air. The Twice clan awaited, and with them, the future. Toki swallowed hard.
"Then let’s not keep them waiting," she said, her voice rising with resolve. The letter from Elara, now seared into her mind, was a timely warning. She put on cheap sandals and stepped forward, barely ready to face the conclave and all the shadows that lay beyond.
Alaric's solemn gaze met Toki as he led her to the main hall. "Niece," he began, his voice strangely concerned, “unfortunately, your attire seems to only have deteriorated since I saw you last.” He looked her up and down, “mind your words today of all days.”
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They entered the conclave hall. Each corner was inscribed with the legacies of the Twice clan. High ceilings arched above, painted with frescoes that danced with the light of chandeliers, their crystalline teardrops casting prisms upon the marble floor. Conversations from the gathered clan wove through the air, each murmur laced with expectation. They were seated in concentric circles with the most respected elders towards the inner ring, her treacherous cousins seated in the outermost ring.
"After you," Alaric murmured to her. His words trailed off as he gestured toward the assembly and moved towards his seat behind an elderly female. A tide of faces turned towards Toki.
Toki squared her shoulders. The scent of aged wood and the subtle tang of the prepared ritual hung heavily around them. Inhaling deeply, Toki allowed the mystique of the grand hall to seep into her bones. The torches flickered as if nodding to her presence, the flames recognizing her. This was her duty, she was well versed in this ritual. After her mother left, this duty fell on her young shoulders.
"Let the whispers cease," she declared, her voice steady, recollecting the ritual words, reaching even the furthest corners of the hall. "For I stand before you, not as a shadow cast by our legacy but as its bearer."
A hush fell over the crowd.
Toki raised her arms. Her slender fingers danced with the beginnings of a flame and tiny stars flickered into existence around her. "From the forge of dawn to the ashes of twilight," she began, her voice a melodic incantation that resonated off the walls. The flames around her hands swirled, growing brighter and more insistent.
"I who carry this Authority have twice lit the flame."
With those words, she thrust her hands forward, and the flames converged into a singular, brilliant blaze that hovered over the central brazier. The fire roared to life, casting a glow on the conclave. Mana streamed into the brazier and swirled as the innermost elders also offered their own mana to the flame.
The room lay ensnared in silence, every clan member’s gaze fixed upon Toki. The flames reflected in her eyes. “We are Twice," she intoned, “we are stewards of this flame, born in the time before time. In fire we find our purpose. In forge we find our fate." She paused for a moment, a dramatic pause.
"Our lineage: Twice born, twice blessed, twice cursed. When our flame ignites, it too, shall burn twice.
“Within this flame, we hide the heart of truth, so no other flame shall wander," she continued, her voice steady. "Beneath this cloak of pretense, let each word spoken here illuminate our path.” The flame stabilized and encased the room in a glow.
[Suspension protocol JE-13 initiated]
[Elara Twice has bequeathed the Twice Prime designation to Tokyo Twice (wielder)]
Is this one of Elara’s secrets? What is the suspension protocol? Prime?
"Elara's absence is most… disquieting," Elder Marrow broke the silence, his voice echoing with a mixture of concern and disbelief. "Why did she choose to walk?"
Elder Marrow was one of the elders that the clan trusted. He sat in the innermost circle in a green robe. He oversaw the treasury and managed the clan’s finances. His voice, thus, held weight. The other three elders that held similar regard were Elder Eris who led the disciplinary subcommittee, Elder Pamela who led the investment subcommittee, and Elder Copper who led the education subcommittee.
"She assumed the mantle," Elder Copper finished, his tone laced with anxiety. "It’s unlike her to leave us without warning."
"Indeed," another elder chimed in, second circle.
Elder Marrow continued, his stern gaze sweeping the assembly. "We cannot ignore the implications of our matriarch's uncharacteristic departure. When a walker is sent, they have never returned. We have arranged this conclave today primarily to consider succession."
Whispers threaded through the gathered clan, a tapestry of voices weaving theories and concerns. In the midst of them, Toki moved towards the flamebearer’s seat, also inner circle. The seat for the leader remained empty. She had debated whether she should claim the leader’s chair outright. That is what Elara would have done. Maybe they won’t know that Elara left it to me. I can only hope.
Amidst the restless congregation of Twice Clan elders, a slender woman voiced her thoughts. It was Eris Twice, Alaric's mother and Toki’s great aunt. She was wrinkled, but she held the white hair of the orthodox Twice line. Her voice was powerful and booming.
"Esteemed assembly," Eris began, voice steady, "Elara's absence is not without design. I hold her last scroll," she extended an ornate scroll, its seal already broken, "the final decree of Elara Twice."
"By my hand and will, I bestow the mantle of matriarch onto Tokyo Twice, bearer of our flame." A murmur spread through the chamber like wildfire through dry underbrush. Eyes turned toward Toki, their gazes piercing as they sought to unravel the enigma before them.
Toki felt her heartbeat drumming against her chest. Even primed by Elara’s letter, she was unprepared. Shit.
"But she is untested," protested Elder Copper, revealing the naked skepticism beneath. "Can we entrust our leadership to one so... inexperienced?"
"Experience is not solely the measure of one's worth," countered another elder, second circle, his visage the very picture of steadfastness. "Elara saw something in Toki—a potential that transcends our traditional metrics of judgment."
"Potential is a facet of an uncut gem," Elder Pamela, interjected, her tone sharp as flint. "Yet it requires the artisan's hand to reveal its true form. The risk if we place such raw… Tokyo… at our helm is too great.”
"We cannot change what Elara has written. You are prime now, correct?" retorted Elder Marrow, his gaze locked with Toki's, searching, probing.
Toki was shocked, but she did not let it show. She would indeed need to learn quickly.
“That is right, uncle. I have been appointed Prime.” Toki replied.
He nodded. Toki heard many curious whispers, but Elder Marrow did not engage them, instead he replied, "then there is only one question that remains. Will she ascend as our sovereign, or shall we appoint a regent until proven?... It is my opinion that we must guard against a child’s folly." He looked her up and down.
Backs straightened, and heads nodded amongst the gathered elders, a sea of conflicting ideas emerging. Toki suspected that this was how Elara believed the elders would control her.
“Do we have a majority to appoint a regent?” A younger woman asked, third circle.
“First circle?” Elder Marrow queried.
Copper, Marrow, Pamela, and Eris all raised a hand. Only Toki kept her hand down. Out of loyalty to Elara.
“There is no need for further discussion.”
"Let us plan to cast our lots tomorrow then to appoint the regent." Eris suggested.
The silence in the grand hall was brief but meaningful, thick and oppressive, as if the very walls listened with bated breath.
“Agreed.” The three other elders joined in, looking at each other warily.
Elder Marrow continued, “let us finalize the remaining strategic priorities while the flame is lit, then.”
The elders continued into discussions of the upcoming trade legislation in Alabaster Ring and the material inventory and requirements for forgework sales in the coming quarter. The import of key goods and services was necessary to keep the city running. With the upcoming trade deal, there was an opportunity to expand the scale of the city and the influence of the Twice clan as a major exporter. And also grab more resources.
Toki’s hangover caused her head to throb. With her role in the clan affairs finished, her ears glazed over, and the conversation passed until the conclave ended. One by one, elders stopped fueling the fire, until finally Toki dissipated her flame. The elders filtered out and went towards the banquet hall for lunch.
[Suspension protocol JE-13 recalled]
When Toki got up to leave, she was approached by Elder Marrow.
“Toki, a word please.” Toki stepped aside, and Elder Marrow halted his steps. “Mind your appearances. As the next matriarch, you are expected to maintain a certain decorum.” He looked around, glancing at the departing clan, and continued in a whisper, “there is trouble afoot, dear girl. Rest while you can. Your vote tomorrow may break a stalemate.”
Toki nodded, and Elder Marrow left the room with everyone else. Toki herself left and walked towards her room, instead. The pounding hangover had not abated, and it was finally time for some real rest. Before questions, fears and chaos could resurface, she fell into slumber.