In a secluded villa North of Auryck, Caeris Teld Wind Auryck tapped idly on the massive table in front of her. She was the youngest of those in participation today, so she was expected to be there earlier than the rest, as etiquette demanded. Ridiculously, it did not detail how early was appropriate, and, in the past, her brothers had found it infinitely amusing to humiliate her in front of their father and various guests by arriving over an hour before the designated time. And so she found herself alone in a conference room sizable enough for 50. She looked around, bored, as she had seen the gilded interior of the room many times before, studied every painting of her father in detail, and, when she was younger, looked for hidden doors. There weren’t any, as, in any true emergency, wood and brick walls posed little in the way of anyone more powerful than a brazient, and any sneaking about would not start or end in a conference room anyways.
There were a few maids and staff in the room, but they were all stationary and silent, awaiting the arrival of the first member. She did not get an announcement. After all, it would be strange to be announced to an empty room. She did not have to wait too long. It would seem that she was right, and that one of her brothers had indeed tried to arrive early.
The doors opened with a creak that echoed throughout the chamber.
“Enter, Luca Aethelweulf Matich Auryck, third son of Aethelwulf Suroh Thael Auryck, may ambient surround him always,” the voice of the butler at the door was strong, and the reverberation of the sparsely populated chamber made his arrival sound especially grand.
Luca knew when he was announced that he couldn’t be the first, so he entered with a disappointed look as his eyes scanned the room. When his gaze landed on Caeris, she mockingly began a quiet round of applause to further punctuate his small failure.
“Welcome back, Caeris. I do hope that you enjoyed your time in the academy.”
“Yes, it was… I learned many lessons there,” replied Caeris.
“Oh,” said Luca, feigning interest as a maid pulled his chair out for him. He did not acknowledge her existence, as if the chair moved according to his own whims, “for example?”
“Well, all nobility are quite similar really. There is a universal currency we share.”
“Now, dear sister, don’t keep me on the edge of my seat for too long.”
“Power,” she said.
She watched closely, not wanting to miss it. There it was. At that word, he flinched, the icy surface of his facade cracking a bit before he was able to regain his composure. It would seem that, in her absence, his jealousy had not faded, but rather festered.
“Ah, yes,” her brother continued as if he hadn’t missed a beat. “It comes in many forms: The wealth of the Luger’s, the secrets of the Darkhart’s, or the military might of Warlskill.”
Caeris nodded in agreement but continued, clarifying her point. “Yes, power comes in many forms, but you’ve attended the academy yourself. The Emperor values one form over others: ambient. Such is the power of The Empire’s youngest ducal family, the Astael’s.”
There it is, she thought. He was cornered in this conversation. If he could be moved to public anger, it could benefit her greatly. Her thoughts were interrupted by the croaking hymn of the door, opening once more to the announcement of another member of today’s council.
“Enter, Jaskil Fyord Ten Warlskill, fifth son of Jaskaer Herald Ten Warlskill, may ambient surround him always.”
He was from the Warlskill family, and looked the part. The tall, blond man wore the black uniform of a high commander, gilded with the emerald green colors of his family. He carried himself like the veteran of many battles. With his station and family, he most likely was.
Jaskil spoke up with what sounded like a command, “Greetings, hosts of Auryck, this seems to be our first meeting, so an introduction is in order.” He looked first to Luca.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Luca bowed quickly and shallowly, “I am Luca, third son of Marquess Aethelwulf. Your presence here honors us.”
Jaskil then looked to Caeris, but did not wait for her to introduce herself. “You must be Caeris Teld Win Auryck, the second daughter.”
Caeris was a bit off put, unsure as to why he would be already familiar with her. He spoke up again, nearly cutting her off as she decided on what to say in response.
“You were determined to be of altient class before leaving the academy. Such a feat deserves many congratulations, and doesn’t go unnoticed by Warlskill… Though, I imagined your shoulders to be more broad; I am happy to be mistaken. You look stunning, Lady Caeris.”
Caeris gripped the arms of the chair tightly, trying not to sway at the barrage of emotions she experienced in only a few short sentences. This was a serious meeting, and he had insulted her. Then, he had complimented her appearance, nearly in the same breath. She felt pride, anger, and embarrassment one after the other. Now, all three lingered as she struggled to think of what to say. A look at Luca brought her back into her body. He had also been taken off guard. She composed herself, and responded calmly.
“Are all of those from Warlskill so lacking in tact,” she asked.
“In Warlskill, we would use words more like ‘candid’ or ‘direct,’” he responded.
“Maybe so, nonetheless, this gathering is more akin to an imperial war council than a summer ball. Perhaps I’d like to hear those words underscored by a nice tune, but alas, my father seems to have forgotten the band,” said Caeris. She was a bit concerned that it would be perceived as disrespect, but this was important to her. She was not a swooning maiden gawking in the presence of a duke’s son. Her seat in this room had been earned, and could ensure her future would not be as a pawn of political convenience. She had an opportunity to carve out something of her own. She would not miss it due to the frivolous flirtations of a man.
“Ah, well I hope to see you at such an event, then,” Jaskil responded, undeterred.
Caeris smiled and gave a polite nod, effectively ending the topic. She sighed and rested her head against the high back of the chair. She thought of what it would do to her tight curls, and sat straight once more, a bit more conscious of her appearance than before. It was time for the remaining members to start arriving.
“Enter, Justice Geld Lars Luger, second son of Kalway Derlit Lars Luger, may ambient surround him always.” Justice would most likely serve the operation as a moderator, running logistics. He did not carry the aura of a combatant, his dull brown formal attire speckled with the royale blue of the Luger family’s financial experts.
“Enter, Havertz Aethelwulf Kaid Auryck, second son of Aethelwulf Suroh Thael Auryck, may ambient surround him always.” He didn’t lock eyes with anyone in the room, as if his gaze was constantly fixed slightly above them. Havertz carried himself with a confidence that bordered on arrogance, but the inhabitants of the room were well aware such was not the case. The only man more accomplished than the second son would arrive next.
Before the butler made his announcement, everyone knew he had arrived. The air seemed a bit heavier. The hairs on the back of their necks spiked up. A closer look at the maids would reveal that, despite their training, they were shaking.
“Enter, Aethelwulf Suroh Thael Auryck, head of the Auryck family, Marquess of Auryck, may ambient surround him always.”
All eyes snapped to the massive doors, which swung inward once more. Their focus was glued to him, like a mouse unwilling to lose sight of a snake. His steps were quick and light, but made some in the room flinch as if a giant was crashing its boots down on the floor. His eyes were a striking gold color, like a bird of prey eyeing the room. He was unlike his second son. His gaze did not flow over their heads. Each and every member of the room felt the moment that they had been recognized.
He sat down, and with a concentrated focus, decreased the amount of pressure being exerted in the room. Caeris noticed that around her father was a shimmering distortion, almost like the waves that could be seen on the paved roads of the capital. This was seltience, the only real qualitative leap in power among human distinctions of ambient classes. As one’s control over ambient grows, it expands outward, and its effects are enhanced, but the classes of dynient, classient, and so on are nothing but arbitrary markers of varying degrees of power and control. Seltience was only achieved after one had reached the very peaks of control and potency, then found themselves able to coalesce ambient itself into a physical form. Caeris had been determined to be of altient rank after her time at the academy, but she felt herself nowhere near grasping the concept of seltience. If she were honest with herself, she barely understood the concept at all; most others didn’t either.
Aethulwulf was 70 now, and had achieved seltience about a year before her departure to the Imperial Ambient Academy. She had not met him since then. He seemed… Different. Caeris couldn’t really tell if it was simply the passage of time, or something else.
His voice knocked most everyone out of their stupor. It was unchanged, still strong, but smooth and polite, just like she remembered, “Greetings, and welcome to Auryck,” he began. “Today, we begin the process of planning the next step in the growth of the great Ambient Empire: westward expansion, and the subjugation of the demi human species of the Kelston Primeval Forest.”
He paused for a moment as he let his opening statement linger before continuing, “And we can take a short moment to celebrate my daughter, Caeris Teld Wind Auryck, for being appointed as one of the commanders for this operation.”