Chapter 3 – The Third Sun
10th of Mee’ Gero
A.H. 340
Approximately one year prior to last chapter’s events
His footsteps were hurried, echoing throughout the grandiose hallways of the imperial keep. In these moments passing by the embellished arches and golden statues within, all he could feel was the heavy atmosphere, the pressure of the impending meeting. As he drew closer to the towering doors of the inner palace, he thought to himself…
One wrong move, and I will be flayed and put on display in the capital plaza.
“Open the palace doors!” A metallic voice reverberated through the massive halls, followed by an abrupt retracting of blades among stoic, yet silvery-shining suits of armor encasing giants of men now standing at attention.
Between the guards he stood for a moment, and then proceeded through the daunting threshold into the palace. The columns that held the roof stretched to the heavens and were thick as houses, decorated in all manner of luxuries including gold bordering, with ruby and amethyst gemstones to reflect the grandeur of the royal family. The roof itself was shrouded in darkness, for it remained so high that no incantation of light, nor torch of man may ever see its blemishes. Golden statues towered above the procession towards the throne on either side, resembling the past rulers of the world. All that was heard as he proceeded to the throne was the scratchy echo of the plated armor he wore, and the relative softness of his heavy feet along the endless, lush carpet.
He came within reach of the bottom steps near the throne and quickly kneeled, “Captain of the fourth chapter, Astorius Chronur and his descendants are eternally blessed to greet His Majesty, The Third Sun and The Emperor of all things under The Twins!”
Without a word, the imposing figure waved his hand without exertion, a vocal response and a single unified clash against the floor with the bottoms of their halberds came from the two decorated palace guardians placed opposite the sides of the mountainous throne…
“Stand for His Majesty, The Third Sun, Emperor of all things under The Twins, twelfth of his bloodline!”
A momentary pause…
A slow commanding voice resounded through the halls, piercing through even the deafest of ears and resonating within Astorius’ chest, “May you raise your head, captain.”
Astorius’ soul trembled and without raising his chin, “How shall my meagre self look upon a presence so divine?”
“Because I have permitted so, need I more?” The Emperor’s voice bellowed.
“No, Your Majesty’s word is absolute.”
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The captain felt as small as an ant, slowly raising his head to gaze upon the grandeur of his god, enshrouded in silver light that pierced through the high windows of the shining palace. His Majesty’s entire person sits upon a lavish throne, gilded in platinum and gold atop an onyx stone base, acting as the peak of a mountain of carpeted stairs engraved with the likeness of rulers past, symbolizing the past royalty as the foundation for the present.
When The Emperor passes, his face will too accompany the likenesses of past gods, and his majesty will be encapsulated within a golden statue towering above the carpeted procession, thought the captain.
Astorius’ gaze moved further upward, looking at the large back of the throne seat, stretching as high as the statues he saw before, donned and topped with gold, holding The Emperor’s banner that draped over the backing, showing off the gold rising phoenix on a red backdrop. The banner stretched all the way down to the broad shoulders of the powerful figure. His Majesty, renowned for his accomplishments on the battlefield, remained in his war gear, reclining on his behemoth metal suit, flowing like a river down to his feet along the shining segmented plates, donned with gold and plumed with blood-colored coarse hairs along the waist and a single shoulder. Atop all of this was a gray head mounted by a platinum crown, bejeweled with the finest diamonds, dyed in the colors of royalty. The giant of a man leaned forward onto his large Warhammer and asked,
“How fares my subjects?”
Surely this is not what I was beckoned for, the captain thought…
Surprised, Astorius replied in kind, “The bounty is rich, your subjects rejoice at your continued health, Your Majesty, even the dogs grow as plump as the pigs, and the birds sing of a short winter…”
The Emperor’s gaze did not shift in the slightest at the continued news of his realm.
The captain’s remarks came to a close, and attempted to shift the topic of the exchange, “May I be so humble as to inquire about my unworthy purpose in your grand home? For I am naught but one of many servants to The Third Sun.”
The atmosphere became dreary for the captain as the Emperor leaned forward even moreso, “You speak well, but mind your prodding.”
Astorius remained vigilant, hiding his increased fear and anxiety behind the cold gaze of a veteran warrior and kneeled once again, “This servant begs your forgiveness.”
His Majesty let out a sigh and reclined back into the throne, “Granted, now stand.”
“I understand you may be harboring some confusion, but be warned, henceforth no hesitation will be permitted, or ye shall be held under the consequences of death.”
Astorius replies with respect, “This short-sighted human is always ready to carry out the will of His Majesty, and thanks The Third Sun for choosing this mortal for the Pol’s (God’s) endeavor, whatever it may be.”
His majesty lowered his voice to a normal tone, equal to the captain’s, “You seem an educated person, otherwise you’d not be standing there. What do you know of the heresy? Speak freely.”
The Heresy? Why is he asking me about that?
“I only know enough, nearly three and a half centuries ago, the heretics who shall never be named again decided to toss aside the grace granted by the royal family and live for themselves. This- “
The captain abruptly stopped at the raised hand of The Emperor, “Anyone can recite what is in our history books, it seems I had higher hopes for you.”
“Forgive my small mind, Your Majesty.”
There was more to it? What happened back then?
His Majesty continued, “Never mind the details, captain, the only important piece of information you need to know is that a new precedent was created, Soojorgerjukas (Extermination), and this action which marked the start of our new era, is the only reason my family holds power today.”
Yes, I know this much, the captain thought, but what does this have to do with me?
The Emperor stood up, “I should like to enact this policy again.”
Astorius shuddered, now his fear became visible and contagious, for a brief moment he thought that he saw the palace guardians glance at each other, maybe it was his imagination as he shifted his gaze around the palace sanctum. One thing he knew for certain, was that the realm was, to the naked eye, completely at peace. The Empire itself was approaching a golden age.
I thought The Emperor Wise, but what is this? No, he is Pol, who am I to question his actions? This is maddening, who would the targets even be? Are we not in an unprecedented time of peace? The captain could not find a logical reason behind another Soojorgerjukas, but told himself that he existed for The Emperor and his commands.
His Majesty gazed down his nose at the captain, pausing for a moment to observe him, finally returning to his bellowing voice after a terrifying exchange of stares, “Return to your post for now, we will meet again such as this, you will do well to remember that hesitation is punished by death, and that this meeting never took place.”
The Emperor waved his hand, dismissing Astorius and sitting back down in his grand throne, gripping his hammer planted in the ground and reclining on one arm with a sigh, looking towards the endless ceiling of the palace.
“So, the die has been cast.” Whispered The Emperor.
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