Arkashar Ugi (alias Sidros Arkalkin), New Singing Shrine, Harvest Season, 6th rot., 1st day
The griffin banked and flew a circle around the white dome. Then, to Sid’s amazement, the griffon flew into the dome through one of the arched openings and landed on the floor below.
“This is where you get off, Sidros," said the priestess of Sassoo who flew the griffin. "Here's your escort now." She got off the griffin and then lifted me down. "Trainee Opa, this is Sidros Arkalkin. Sidros, this is Trainee Opa, who will get you settled in and show you around the grounds."
“Er,” I looked up at this Opa, who was really tall. There was still some light brown hair mixed in with the silver, so she had to be close to my age. “Welladay,” I bowed. “Please call me Sid.”
She smiled down at me, "Hi, Sid. I'm Opa. I'm a second-year student. You sound like you're from Impotu."
"I'm from Naver Province, the part Foskos took over two years ago," I explained.
“My mistress said you’re an orphan,” Opa fished. “You have any other family?”
I shook my head no. "My grandma was raising me, but she died last season." At least that wasn't a lie. "My brothers and sister died last year in the war." A tear slipped out and ran down my cheek. I blotted it as fast as I could.
She put a handkerchief in my hand, "I'm sorry, Sid. I didn't mean to bring up sad memories for you. Look, you just got here after flying down from Yant. Let me show you where the nearest necessary is, and then I can take you to your room or, if you prefer, to the dining hall for a bite."
"A necessary would be great," I said truthfully. The griffin ride from Yant had taken all morning. I could tell from the sun's position that mid repast had come and gone. "Something to eat would be nice."
“Is this all you have?” Opa picked up my bag by its shoulder strap.
“I've been on my own since Grandma died. Where we lived burned down. I just have some clothes.”
“Okay, Sid, you want to take that door over there,” she gently turned my shoulder toward a pair of double doors. “My mistress said you were working at Manse Yuxviayeth.”
"Yes, in the kitchen. They had me working the spits until last rotation when the Lord sent me to Yant for testing."
The men’s necessary room is through that door, Sid,” Opa stopped and pointed. “I’ll wait here.”
I didn’t intend to sprint into the necessary but I did. I really needed to go. I flushed the necessary twice just because I could.
Flush necessaries were really wow. I encountered my first one at the White Shrine of Landa. I spent about a quarter bell examining it. The adepts teased me a bit afterward, inquiring whether I might be interested in the Shrouded Shrine of Vassu.
“Are there any of the new flushing necessaries in Yuxviayeth yet?” Opa asked when I came out.
“Nope,” I replied. “At least not yet.”
“Have you seen a shower yet?” Opa asked. “Take that next left, Sid.”
“I used one at the White Shrine. I found it strange. I think I like soaking in a tub.”
“Well, we have both, though I do find a shower very convenient if I’m in a hurry,” Opa said. “The dining room is at the end of this hallway, Sid.”
The dining room was filled with five tables that ran the length of the room. Opa steered me to the table closest to the door the servers used.
“We’re supposed to use this table if we eat between repasts. That’s to keep the other tables clean between mealtimes," Opa explained. "I'm not sure what they have hot in the kitchen right now." She walked up to the bell mounted on the wall and yanked on its clapper cord to ring it. Then she sat across from me. "Someone will be here in just a moment."
"And indeed I am," another girl in trainee robes burst through the servers' door and ran up to the table. "What's up, Opa? You already ate mid repast. Oh.” The girl stopped when she saw me. “Hello. Are you visiting? I’m Ekvi.”
“I’m Sid and yes, I am visiting. Is there anything to eat? I’ve been on a griffin all morning.”
"I'll be right back," Ekvi said as she spun on her heel back through the servers' door.
"After you eat, we should leave your bag in your room. Do you want to rest, or should I take you on the tour I'm supposed to give you of the Shrine?"
“What happens after the tour?”
“My mistress wants to meet you,” Opa smiled.
I think my stomach flipped. Being interviewed by a high priestess was dangerous for me. I must have reacted physically because Opa took my hand and tried reassuring me.
"Sid, the Holy Senlyosart is a very kind woman. She's not at all scary. The worst she will do to you is convince you to enroll at our Shrine."
"Alright, here you go," Ekvi reappeared with a tray that she hefted onto the table. "Today's hot selection is quail stew with a side of buttered mountain squash, small ale, sourdough rolls, butter, and bog berry jam."
“Oh, wow,” the food smelled so good to me.
Ekvi sat down next to me, “You must have some special talent if you’ve been invited to tour the Shrine and meet with our mistress. When and where did you take your Shrine exams? I’m guessing you have the talent of Voice.”
"Can I eat first, please?" I pleaded. I really didn't know how to shut these friendly kids down. I wasn't keen to talk about myself. The less I said, the less likely I would give myself away.
“He has a talent for Voice,” Opa said, “and he the talent to play the lithophone.”
“No way! That’s amazing!” Ekvi bounced up and down with excitement. “Sid, you have got to enroll here. The lithophone talent is so rare. Sometimes, we don’t even have anyone who can make the rocks sing. Wow. Opa, do you know what this means? Four people are living right now who can play the lithophone. Opa, you'll have someone to play duets with."
"Oh!" Opa's eyes widened. "Lithophone duets. I don't think there are any. Maybe this has never happened before.”
“You can make the rocks sing too?” I asked Opa.
“It’s why my mistress asked me to give you a tour of the Shrine. I’m allowed to enter the Well of Sassoo to practice the lithophone.”
“There are four who can play? You, me, and who else?”
“My mom and the Holy Senlyosart,” Opa smiled apologetically for some reason.
“You mom’s a priestess here?”
"No, she's ordained as both an adept and a healer," Opa got a funny look as she suddenly studied me. "How much time have you spent in Foskos, Sid?"
“Since Foskos took over Naver Province,” I said. “Last rotation was the first time I’ve been on this side of the mountains.”
“How much do you know about Foskan nobility and royalty?” Opa asked.
“Probably not as much as I should,” I said honestly.
Truthfully, I had not paid attention to Foskan politics since Grandmother died. Knowing I would never be an emperor, I lacked the heart to keep on top of affairs. I wasn't even in the line of succession before last year. My current goal was to avoid capture by the Foskan King, who would undoubtedly put me to death. I was too dangerous to be allowed to live. Even if I would never try to regain my throne as emperor, others would want to use me to start wars and steal territory.
I missed my family. I really missed my father, Grandma, and my middle brother Kisir. I wasn't sure how I felt about my prickly mother, but when I thought about never seeing her again, I wanted to cry. I knew she was doomed, but I hoped she would survive through some kind of miracle. The gods were capable of forgiveness, right? Wasn’t Mugash merciful, Surd patient, and Gerztpul kind?
No, it was hopeless. I was only fooling myself. My mother had committed too many sins in Grandma’s war to steal great crystals from the Foskan Shrines. Grandma and Mother's shortsightedness had doomed the 2,400-year-old Ugi dynasty. The gods do not reward ruling houses that commit too many wrong actions.
“Hey, Sid,” Opa took my hand, “what’s wrong. You don’t look good.”
“No,” I looked up at her, realizing I had lost track of my thoughts again. I smiled, wanting to mask my anxiety, “I’m fine. It’s just that a lot has been going on ever since I was sent to Yant.”
“You know,” she gave me a frustrated look, “most people are overjoyed to receive an invite to visit a Shrine. Only the most talented prospects get to visit. It’s a big deal. And here you sit, invited to visit a Shrine, looking like you’re ready for a funeral pyre.” She frowned at me, “What can I be doing for you, Sidros, to make things easier? Are you sure you don’t want to take a break for a while?”
“No,” I broadened the smile, “I’ll do better if I keep moving.” I knew from experience that if I kept active, I didn't have time to revisit my misery. I had to avoid my misery, or I would lose my will to survive again. "I really want to see what a lithophone looks like,” I said earnestly. I really did want to see the rocks that could make music.
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The Holy Senlyosart, Second Singing Shrine, Harvest Season, 6th rot., 1st day
The Great Crystal sang to me, and I answered, coming as fast as my lame leg would allow. I found two youngsters in the Well of Sassoo in the midst of discovery. I tucked behind a column to watch from the shadows.
"Sorry, I forgot to tell you the Great Crystal has a big voice," Opa said to a frightened-looking boy.
“Was it that loud for you?” the boy asked.
“Yes,” Opa nodded. “Do you want to hear?”
“No, we probably woke half the city of Black Falls when I touched it. Let’s let the other half sleep,” he suddenly grinned. Then, as fast as this impish child appeared, he vanished again, replaced by the frightened child from before.
“Here," Opa pointed at the lowest lithophone slab, "tap there."
The boy tapped, and a full, round tone with a voice filled the space under the dome, like a bell but without the metallic bong at the beginning of the note.
“And here,” Opa pointed. The boy played a note five lifts above the first.
“Isn’t this a straightboard laid out in an arc instead?” the boy asked, looking over the slabs of the lithophone.
“It is. Do you know how to play the straightboard? Can you read music?” Opa asked in surprise.
“Yes,” he nodded. “Is there some?”
Opa, the showoff, waved her hand, and a folder of music rose from a drawer built into the supports for the lithophone slabs. "How about this?" Opa pulled out two sheets of vellum with music on them. She placed them on a stand between the two middle slabs. “Try playing that.”
"That has four parts," the boy frowned. "I only have two hands and arms a lot shorter than yours. Even playing two parts will be challenging for me.”
“Why not make it a duet?” Opa suggested with a grin. “I’ll take the top two; you take the bottom two.”
“Deal! What’s our tempo?”
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Opa tapped out a beat, and they began playing together. After the second song they played, I knew I wasn't the only lurker at this impromptu concert. To hear a four-part arrangement played on a lithophone was an extraordinary experience. The joy on both children's faces was sugar in my tea.
We had to convince this youngster that he wanted to enroll at our Shrine. What could he and Opa achieve if we built two full lithophones side-by-side in the Well? I wanted to find out.
“That was lovely, Trainee Opa,” I walked into the Well. “The Great Crystal sang a few moments back, so I had to investigate why.” I smiled at Opa. She was so cute when she looked like she was caught with her hands in the sweets jar.
Opa elbowed the boy she was with and whispered something at him. Then they both went to their knees to pay me a proper obeisance. I did not give them leave to rise. I sat on the Throne of Judgement and studied them.
“So, Trainee Opa, you talked this young visitor into touching the Great Crystal, yes?”
“Yes, Mistress,” Opa’s head drooped.
“How old are you, Sidros?”
“Eleven, Holy One.”
“Did the Great Crystal light up, Opa?” I inquired.
“Yes, Mistress.” Opa’s head drooped even further. She was good at beating herself up.
"Sidros," I motioned for him to stand, "please show me. Place your hand upon the Great Crystal."
He looked scared. Just when I thought he might try to run away, he ran up to the crystal and put his hand on it. A green light flooded the Well of Sassoo as a deep bell-like tone resonated throughout Black Falls.
“Are you really just eleven?” I had to ask.
He looked ready to run when he nodded his head yes at me.
I walked over to him, placed my hand on his shoulder, and cast the charm of peace. “I think, perhaps, you should take a break now. I asked you to come visit to see what life here was like. It wasn’t my intention to scare you half to death.
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Arkashar Ugi (alias Sidros Arkalkin), Second Singing Shrine, Harvest Season, 6th rot., 1st day
The High Priestess told me she didn’t want to scare me to death. The next thing I remembered was waking up on a couch under a blanket with a pillow beneath my head and my shoes off. I was in a large and richly appointed sitting room. Fine carpets covered the floor, and the walls were finished with wood paneling.
“Ah! You’re awake,” said the voice of the High Priestess. She appeared and sat down in an armchair facing me. “I'm not the best at reading auras, but yours has that sickly green tinge that chronically stressed people acquire after months of anxiety. I would send for a healer to attend to you, but I suspect that you might run away if I did that. Sidros is not your real name, is it? If you are the survivor of one of the fallen Impotuan noble houses, I will swear on the Great Crystal that I will not reveal your identity. If you enroll at my Shrine, you will become one of us, and we will fight to keep you here and safe.
"Trainee Opa was quite concerned about you. She can read auras and noted yours. I wish she had brought you to me right away, but she thought you might settle down if she started the tour first. However, just looking at you, I can tell that you haven't slept or eaten well for many rotations. May I ask? Were you really living with your grandmother last season?
“Yeah.”
“And she died?”
“Yeah. Foskan soldiers killed her.” I had not revealed that to anyone before now.
“And which noble house are you from?”
I couldn’t answer her. “No, I’m not from any noble house.”
“Young mage whose name is surely not Sidros," the High Priestess, "you are better spoken than most nobles I know. Given that the world is currently awash with refugees, it's not that strange to find a spit boy or girl who can read, write, and speak well. But a spit boy who will be a silverhair, who has a talent for Voice, lithophones, and fire magic, and who already knows how to read music – that’s someone with the breeding and education available only to the best families.
“Imstay King has no interest in chasing down and killing children, young man. Were you to swear on the Great Crystal that you would forego revenge for your family, I would never ask after your real name except for one thing. Only eight Impotuan houses are known for the magic that makes the great fireballs. To preserve bloodline magic, I want to know your descent so it can be recorded in our genealogical records, not for your sake, but for the sake of your children. It would behoove you to record your bloodline for the sake of your posterity.
“Let me make you a proposal, young man. I will never again ask you about your house and will adopt you as a ward of my Shrine, which obligates me to support and defend you as if you were my own child, on three conditions. First, you will swear on the Great Crystal that you will not avenge your house or the individual members in it for whatever Foskos may have done up until today. Second, you will write out your lineage and seal it. After swearing on the Great Crystal that what you wrote was complete and true, we will deposit it with the chapel shrine of Galt, with instructions that the document may only be opened upon your death by your heirs. Third, you will enroll at my Shrine.”
She suddenly smiled at me, "I am not letting you escape if I can help it. So, that’s the deal I’m offering you. I would be a happy woman to see your and Opa’s happy faces again while you play the lithophones. I want to experience that joy over and over again for the rest of my days on Erdos. I very much want your talent at my Shrine. I can also provide you with training unique among all the Shrines. Because you have the Voice, the ability to make rocks speak, and some musical talent, you also have the potential to be a windshaper. We don't know why, but musical talent is one of the qualities needed to be a windshaper. It’s never made much sense to me, but that's how the world is. Be that as it may, only one Shrine in all of Erdos can train you in windshaping, and we're it."
“The Harmonious Shrine in Kipgapshegar doesn't train windshapers?" I had to ask. I knew we only had a handful, but I didn't realize it was because we couldn't train our own in Impotu.
“Every windshaper on Erdos has trained here,” she said. “It is the will of Sassoo that only one Shrine trains windshapers.”
"Why?" Then I realized I shouldn't have asked, but it was too late to take back my words. I needed to discipline myself not to ask questions or draw attention my way. So far, I was doing a lousy job of trying to hide in plain sight.
“To prevent the abuse of wind magic,” the High Priestess said in a heavy voice. “Wind magic can sink fleets, flatten forests, destroy the crops of entire nations, ruin cities, and shred armies. Once unleashed, magical winds can not be called back or controlled. To be ordained as a windshaper, one must swear binding oaths never to use wind magic as a weapon except in defense against a clear aggressor. It is contrary to the Conventions of Surd to use wind magic in war.”
“Wind magic was used last year at the old Shrine, the one that burned here," I pointed out. "Wasn't that the use of wind magic in a war?" Then, I had to kick myself again for asking another question.
“I refrained from using windshaping until the Impotuan Army broke the gate into the Shrine,” the High Priestess sounded weary. “They set the Well of Sassoo on fire to drive its ten defenders out of the Shrine. But the Impotuans underestimated us. They assumed we would flee rather than die to protect our Shrine and crystal. Of the ten who defended, only I and one other survived, and it is certainly a miracle that we did.
“It was Impotu that committed the ultimate act of sacrilege, as its soldiers invaded a Shrine so they could steal the Great Crystal. We cast the Euroo Wind of Sassoo on the Impotuan Army and sent a surge of wind, water, and salt that tore limbs and shredded flesh. But the Euroo Wind is also the wind of knives that knows who is an enemy and who is a friend. No Impotuan survived, but no Foskan took harm. The water in the Salt River turned red for two days afterward, from where the blood flowed out of the city all the way down to the Falls. We used the Euroo Wind for only one purpose – to defend the Shrine and the Great Crystal, even at the expense of our lives. Like the Queen's charm of ultimate defense, the Euroo Wind can only be cast as a defense. If Sassoo disapproves of the use, the charm will destroy the caster instead."
I realized then that this High Priestess was the cause of my oldest brother’s and sister’s deaths. My siblings led the force to capture the trade road to Uldlip. If the opportunity arose, Grandma had encouraged them to extend control to Tuleen if possible. Why did they turn aside to attack a Shrine? The Singing Crystal wasn’t on the list of the crystals we needed, and the Shrine had no strategic value. Why didn’t they detour away from the Shrine? My siblings paid for their needless sacrilege with their lives. It made me angry and sad at the same time.
And this charming, generous, friendly, helpful High Priestess was the one who killed my brother and sister for their acts of stupidity. By rights, I should be planning my revenge on this nice lady for the death of my siblings, not having a pleasant chat and tea.
I wish the war had never happened. I wish my brothers and sister were still alive. I wish I still lived with my Grandma at the Summer Palace in Kipgapshegap. I wish for a lot of things, but I know my wishes will never come true.
I didn’t know what to think.
I had to figure out if I needed to escape this place. But where can I go, and how can I live? I might be able to feed myself, but I didn't know how to build a shelter that could withstand winter or make clothes to keep me warm and dry. Maybe I could run from here and find a spot working on a riverboat. I always wanted to ride a riverboat and watch the world go by. I would have to figure out how to dye my hair. It would hide me for a while, at least long enough to figure out what to do.
“That’s a very unhappy look, Sid,” the High Priestess said with a friendly smile. “Would you like to see your room? We already put your bag there.”
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The Holy Senlyosart, Second Singing Shrine, Harvest Season, 6th rot., 1st day
I waited in the Well of Sassoo for Opa.
“May the blessings of the eleven gods be upon you, Holy One,” I was startled out of my thoughts by Opa’s obeisance.
"And also upon you, Trainee," I smiled, "please get up and have a seat." I patted the bench next to me. "I wish to speak with you, but first, I need to invite someone else." I looked around at the empty Well. "I wish to speak with Opa's current wraith on duty."
“I am here,” a disembodied woman’s voice spoke from in front of me.
I cast a sound barrier around the Well so no one could accidentally overhear us.
“What I am about to say does not leave the Well,” I told Opa and her wraith. “I inspected the thoughts of our young visitor after he fainted. I know who he is. We need a wraith detail on him full-time starting right now. Please do whatever you need to do to set that up. I can not emphasize this enough. We need to have permanent surveillance of Sidros Arkalkin, and we need it immediately. Next, I need to speak with Imstay King as soon as possible, in person, preferably in secret."
“If the boy is important, why not take him into custody and keep him at the citadel?” the wraith appeared and sat on a bench facing me and Opa.
“I do not want him to know that we know who he is,” I said. “He will try to flee otherwise. I feel the best course is to cajole him into staying here at the Shrine with wraiths keeping an eye on him invisibly. He watched his grandmother die at the hands of a Foskan wraith, so he will jump if he thinks we’re on to him. This boy is running from Imstay King in fear for his life. His fear is not groundless.”
“Mistress?” Opa asked, looking concerned. “He’s the missing Ugi heir, isn’t he?”
“Yes, Sidros is really Arkashar Ugi.” I sighed. “He’s a scared kid who has lost everything. He sorely misses his family and can’t even talk about his grief without revealing who he is. He's lost, and he's frightened, and he has no one he can turn to for help.”
“Mistress, he’s dangerous,” Opa said with concern. “He may be better off in the citadel. He could set off a whole new round of warfare in Impotu if some disgruntled noble in Impotu wanted to use him as a figurehead.”
“No, not while his mother is still alive. Even if she were dead, he’s currently incapable of sustaining the war. To be frank, I do not think he has the personality even to be a figurehead. He has no desire to rise up and restore House Ugi as the political force behind Impotu. All his effort right now is dedicated to his survival. This eleven-year-old has no goals beyond that right now.
“If he were truly ambitious and wanted to salvage his future potential to rule, he would have fled to his mother,” I pointed out. “But his relationship with his mother is not a good one. She has been an absent and unloving parent, always in the field with her armies. His grandmother was the one who raised him and gave him what little love he received as a child. It's telling that he ran away to Yuxviayeth, going in the opposite direction of eastern Impotu, where House Ugi still has control.
“No, Arkashar Ugi is ours to coerce and cajole if we play him right. He desperately wants to be loved for himself and not because he's the new imperial heir. We can do that for him. He wants nothing to do with court politics, which he got by the bucket living with his grandmother. He despises courtiers, the kind that go to court to make their fortunes sucking up to nobles and royalty. We can give him a peaceful life far removed from court politics. And he wants a safe place to hide despite being a silverhair. We can construct an environment that gives that to him. If we can convince him that our Shrine is the refuge he seeks, we won't need to worry about his running away. And we can have wraiths keeping an eye on him as our insurance in case he does get it in his head to flee.
“Don’t let his cautious and timid manner fool you,” I warned. “He’s smart and he’s observant. He has already surmised that his grandmother and mother’s actions have doomed their imperial rule. As the youngest spare heir, he wasn’t treated or educated as an heir until last year. He has neglected spare prince painted all over him. This is a kid who is ambivalent about becoming the imperial heir. I feel confident we can turn him into someone who is not a threat.”
"But Mistress," Opa was frowning so profoundly, I thought her forehead might break, "even if he never raises a hand against us, he'll have kids and they might want to restore Impotu.”
“Please don't be shocked when I say this, dear heart," I smiled at the Princess, "but we can arrange it so that he either has the right kids or no kids at all."
“The right kids?” Opa looked worried as she realized some of the implications of what I said.
“For example, if the two of you married, and you became King, your children would be the right kids. What could be better than merging the two bloodlines to rule a Foskos that has swallowed Impotu?"
"What about my bother?" Opa squawked. "I can't displace him as King. I don't want to rule."
“What if your brother becomes queen instead? He’s already as good as the Holy Foyuna in using the Great Crystal at the Crystal Shrine.”
“Surd save us,” Opa looked at me with big round fish eyes. “I never considered that.” She paused. “But I won’t have the education to be king,” Opa protested. “I know nothing about the combat arts.”
I had to smile, “Now that we have moved into our beautiful new Shrine, your great aunt is sending a full-time weapons instructor for you. Your weapons tutor will show up on the second rotation of Cold Season. You'll be taking a half daybell lesson every day before morning repast, excluding your days off."
Opa groaned. Both the wraith and I smiled at her funk.
"Can I disown my family?" Opa winced. "I think I could enjoy the peaceful, undemanding life of a commoner without all the extra lessons and the tutors in kingdom law and finance."
"Back to the matter at hand," I reined in the conversation. I didn't want to waste the wraith's time. "Lady wraith, how fast can you get some wraiths assigned to our visitor? And when do you think I can see the King?"
“I have already had a bird sent to Snow Bear about more personnel to watch over our young visitor,” the wraith said. “It will be difficult since the number of male wraiths is limited. Most of them are currently assigned to Heldfirk Prince. I have also sent a request for the King through the relays. I am curious as to who we will hear from first. It would only be a bell or two for both responses.”
“Mistress,” Opa looked worried, “what if my father wants to imprison or execute Arkashar?”
“I won’t let him,” I smiled my assurance at her. “I’m not going to let a lithophone talent escape. And he already reads music,” I beamed at the thought of lithophone duets. “No, my greed will not allow me to let our young visitor flee to another Shrine or permit Imstay King to remove him. If we handle him right, young Arkashar will settle into our Shrine happily and spend the next few years in a safe and insulated environment. All we need to do is convince him that the Shrine is his home and refuge. If he swears on the Singing Crystal not to avenge his house, we can keep him here, snug and safe, because then he would not be a danger to Foskos.
“And now, dear heart,” I leaned back and played an arpeggio on the lithophone behind my chair, "I believe I have overdone things today while walking about. Would you please go to my quarters and bring back my walker for me?"
I should have known better than to ask Opa. She is too conscientious. Not only did she bring my walker, but she also brought Priestess Twipdray, my healer and personal nag, who recited my failings as a patient once again and then confined me to bed for a day to rest my weak leg. I looked forward to the future when I regained all my strength and no longer needed a healer to supervise my recovery.