Three months on the road. Nine weeks of Eoghan’s cooking. Seventy-two days of Mossc’s jokes. And enough of Dahl’s glittering optimism to last a lifetime. Ajax wondered what was going through his mind when he had agreed to this. If the Empress hadn’t asked him personally he would have refused, but it is hard to say no to Her. She had never asked him to do anything beyond his abilities, and he had been rewarded generously for his service, but that didn’t change much about the sour mood he was in this morning.
Their guide, a Maqua named Urdit they had picked up in Teqsen before leaving the Empire, assured them that they would reach The Sepulcher this afternoon. Urdit wasn’t exactly a defector from the Irkorta, their culture seems incapable of holding grudges, but his information on how to deal with the Sages upon reaching their destination would prove useful. His presence also made dealing with some of the nomads they had passed far easier. His color changing skin saying more about their intentions and good will than they could communicate quickly otherwise.
Ajax was sitting at the table in what passed for the carriage’s dining room, waiting for Mossc, Dahl, and Urdit to wake up as Eoghan cooked breakfast. Eoghan had been up all night keeping watch, but that was normal for his people. Most Cheirmapt were nocturnal. Ajax could see the webbed skin under Eoghan’s arms that allowed him limited flight when he reached into the various cupboards holding foodstuffs. He would be going to bed soon after sharing the meal, and his cabin contained additional soundproofing to ensure he wouldn’t be disturbed. Ajax had learned that the ‘night shift cabin’, as it was called, was standard on these types of carriages. The carriage he had ridden in when he had first Fell to Gomarche, over sixty-two years ago, had had one, as well as a Cheirmapt steward to fill it.
That first step into a carriage had nearly broken Ajax’s brain. On the outside, they appeared as a normal sized carriage, but inside they were quite spacious. There were six separate cabins along one wall. Opposite the cabins was a small kitchen, dining, and common area, the entrance door delineating the space between the dining and common rooms. At the back, relative to the carriage’s path of travel, was a large area set aside for storage, barrels and crates partially filling the space. At the outset of the journey, that area had been packed with over six months of supplies. Now it was nearly half empty.
Dahl came out of her cabin first. She gave a nod to Ajax, then asked “Eog, you got something I can grab and go? I want to get the gnorses fed and watered asap so we can get moving. Maybe we can hit The Sepulcher before noon.”
“I anticipated your request, Miss Dahl. The plate on the right has some handmeals.” Eoghan responded. Dahl grinned, her emerald cheeks twinkling, as she picked up two of the handmeals and went out the door.
Mossc emerged next, doubtless woken by the conversation. Ajax knew better than to engage with the small green man before he’d had his brew. ‘Mud’ they affectionately called it. It was an uncommon vice, but a mostly harmless one. A combination of dried and ground beans, bark, and herbs, it was originally imbibed by the Phae Goblins before becoming popular among other races in the Empire. Ajax had tired it, but the bitterness had turned him off it. Mossc went and grabbed a cup and carafe that Eoghan had prepared and sat down at the table, dead to the world for a few more minutes.
Eoghan had begun moving the breakfast platters to the table by the time Urdit left his cabin. In the time Ajax had been around him, he had begun to be able to tell a bit about the Maqua Lizardfolk’s mood from the patterns appearing on his skin. While the color changing could be controlled if thinking about it, much like breathing it seemed to be automatic otherwise. “Is Dahl out tending to the animals?” Urdit asked.
“She is, Master Urdit. She wanted to get an early start if possible.” Eoghan said.
“Those Felsdgar are smart, especially her kind, I’ll give them that. There’s a few Granitine among the Irkorta, but not many Quartrine.” Urdit said as he sat down at the table and began filling his plate.
“Are any of the Sages likely to be Feldsgar? I’ve always felt a kinship with them that may cut through the cultural differences.” Ajax said between bites of his breakfast.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“The Sages change with the seasons. No one may stay at The Sepulcher for longer than a year. They would be cast out if they tried. It’s still a few weeks before the autumn equinox, so the current Sages will still be the ones presiding over the gathering.” Urdit explained. “We want to be long gone before then though, the tribes are heading this way now, some may already be there. The Irkorta may not have a problem with you passing through their territory as long as your intentions are peaceful, but being present at their holiest site on one of their two holiest days, and not being Branchists yourselves, would not be looked kindly upon. And that’s putting it mildly.”
“I’m Branchist adjacent.” Mossc spoke for the first time. “Studying and respecting flora has to count for something. I just don’t go so far as to worship my turnips.”
Ajax smirked slightly. The various religions and sects of Gomarche had taken him many years to wrap his head around. He had never truly believed in the gods of his youth, merely paying lip service. But Ajax had had a vision about ten years after his Fall, a calling. Chernoff had spoken to him, given him a purpose, granted him power. Ajax had become a cleric that night. And in the long years since, Ajax had continued to increase his bond with this world’s god of knowledge, using his powers for the good of the Empire that had taken him in. At one point the Empress Herself had taken an interest in him, asking him to travel and act as Her emissary, an instrument of Her will. She had officials with titles She could have tapped, but She seemed to have a fondness for Ajax and found his perspective as a non native of Gomarche valuable. All of which had brought him to today, far from the bounds of the lands he knew, trying to establish a relationship to the tribes, the first step in the diplomacy that She was known for.
“If you think that argument will save your tiny green hide, Mossc, by all means stay behind when the rest of us leave. The Irkorta do not suffer fools.” Urdit said, an icy tone to his voice. He had left the tribes years ago, but the same sentiment was there.
“You’re lucky Ajax is here to hold me back.” Mossc sneered, puffing his chest, “I’m not scared of you.”
“If you would care to step outside to leave your friend’s presence, I can make you scared of me.” Urdit’s skin darkened, turning nearly black, and the crest on his head rose. “I was born out here, alone, in this arid scrubland. I climbed out from beneath the sand and hunted, killed, with my bare hands before you would have even opened your eyes. I may live among your Empire now, but I am a desert creature. And you would do well to respect a creature in its own habitat.”
Mossc’s eyes grew big as he drew back into his seat at the verbal challenge that had just been leveled. “I meant no offense Urdit.” Mossc said, and quickly added “I’m going to go see if Dahl needs help.” as he downed his remaining brew, grabbed a handmeal, and went out the door.
Eoghan cleared his throat and said “Master Ajax, I’m going to be turning in shortly. If you would please put the breakfast dishes in the basin when you are finished. I’ve left some snacks and lunch options on the counter, under the tea towels. And please remind everyone to place any clothing needing to be washed into the laundry basket, I will be cleaning them this afternoon when I awake.”
“Certainly Eoghan. Thank you, and sleep well.” Ajax replied. Eoghan wiped his hands, nodded to Ajax and Urdit, then retired to his cabin. “Urdit, are there any other insights you can give me on dealing with the Sages?” Ajax asked.
“The Sages are as close to leaders of the Irkorta, as a whole, as there are. Each tribe has a leader, but the leaders look to the Sages for guidance for the coming seasons. Some of the Sages will return to their tribes after the gathering, and other potential Sages will stay. In a few weeks time, some will be elevated and the rest will either attempt to make their way back to their tribes, alone, or will stay at The Sepulcher as acolytes to the Sages, ready to step up should the Sages show weakness.” Urdit said. He grabbed the last handmeal and took over half of it in one bite. “As for interacting with them, be respectful, although you will not have a problem with that. They will not agree to any treaties or deals, nothing binding. There will be a number of Sages, none is senior or junior to the others, and not all will want to speak with you.” He ate the last bite of his breakfast. “Do not show weakness. The weak are left to die. If you make a mistake, run with it, turn it around. They will not harm you, as an outsider, unless you harm them first, not at The Sepulcher at least.”
Ajax took this all in. None of it was necessarily new information, but hearing it all again this close to the meeting was useful nonetheless. “Thank you Urdit. Your insights will prove valuable, I’m sure.” Ajax said. He began clearing the dishes from the table and putting them in the basin, as Eoghan had asked. “Let’s go see if Dahl is done tending to the gnorses so we can get moving.”