THE THIRTEENTH HOUR

Thirteen years had passed since Eirathem had tried to free the dragons and had been delivered to Rhacmidon. It was the thirteenth hour, of the thirteenth day, of the thirteenth month (Mihtumona) of the year 2171.

In Myencihn, it was considered a magical time and the Elite Myende of Myencihn were all celebrating. A special group of the elders of the Elite had been invited to visit the Emperor in his stronghold in the Valley of dragons

But Banim cared nothing for the celebrations that were occurring. He was here for one reason only, the whispers and rumors that a new master was coming. A man named Vasdaon had been seen by many in the Valley of the Dragons.

It was said he healed the Munde, showing them to caves where food was. And he rescued children from the cruel overseers, taking them to a hidden meadow that only they could enter. Banim had tried to enter the hidden meadow, and the trees and vines grew before his very eyes, preventing him from going further.

And Banim had come upon men, both overseers, and Munde, writhing in pain. He avoided the overseers, but the other men told him that Vasdaon had caught them accosting girls. He sat with one for three hours. The man said his back burned like fire. The pain finally ended, but he had a dark black line running across his shoulders to this day.

And the whispers among the Munde were that the new master would come today. So Banim waited and watched. He lifted a dirty hand to shade his eyes as he peered skyward. A large black dragon swooped down, roaring its rage. A voice resounded in the area “I challenge the Emperor to battle!”

Banim quickly took a step backward to hide behind a tree as men and boys came barreling out of the Emperor’s stronghold. The building was made of gray stone, two stories high, decorated with carvings of dragons.

While the well-dressed men peered into the sky, the boys ran to the huge pit next to the stronghold, racing down the stairs and to their charges. The youngsters were shouting at their dragons, even trying to push them. Some were sitting atop them, digging their heels into the creatures’ tough hides. But the dragons all sat calmly with their necks extended as they peered into the sky themselves.

Banim froze as another huge black dragon, darker than all the others, plunged down from the sky and skidded to a stop. The Emperor, dressed in a brocade vest and silk pants, scrambled up its side. He buckled his legs to a saddle held by thick leather cords that went around the massive beast’s middle.

The man clutched the pommel of the saddle as the dragon jumped several times, flapping its great wings to gain height aloft. Finally, it rose into the air, speeding after the other beast.

The boys in the pit continued to scream at their dragons to no avail. Banim shuddered at the roars of the two beasts high in the sky. The battle raged for an interminable time when finally a body came plummeting down, landing in a heap on the ground. It was the Emperor.

Soon after, the men scattered when the other dragon landed. Banim had been wrong, the dragon wasn’t black, but deep dark-brown. The man atop it slid to the ground. He had a lean face with brown eyes so dark, they appeared black. He was dressed completely in black, in a leather tunic and breeches. Finger-less black gloves adorned his hands. He had long black hair that was tied in a loose ponytail.

The man stalked over to the dead emperor, breaking a wooden wand and letting it fall to the broken body. Banim’s mouth dropped open, and he inhaled deeply and stared as the man’s own wand grew in his hand, becoming a long staff. The staff looked rough, except for the handle, which was decorated with text.

The man strode over near the trees and slammed the staff down on the ground. “I claim this land, the land of my birthright as mine. For I am Eirathem, the True Casari of Myencihn!”

A wall of mud to stone grew out of the ground and spread along an invisible line. The wall was taller than the man who had declared himself Casari, and was wide enough for a man to walk on. Eirathem stepped back and ground his staff into the earth.

His thunderous voice resounded. “I suggest if you see a wall coming your way, you move. All those on this side of the wall are now in the land known as Casariuhof’n. Myende who wish to leave need only ask and I will give you a passage from my land. If you are Munde, I am Maestir.”

One of the counselors to the old Emperor approached the new Casari slowly. The older man looked calm, considering his former Emperor lay in a puddle on the ground and his new Casari had just erected a giant wall that was growing.

“I suppose,” Eirathem said coldly, “you wish to see proof of my claim?”

“You should not have been able to erect that wall if you are not the true Casari,” said the counselor. “However, there will be those who demand proof.”

The Casari reached up and slipped a brown leather bracelet down his arm. He held out his left arm inviting the old mage to inspect it. The man slowly approached, twisting the bangle to examine the writing and decorations on it while avoiding touching the new Casari himself.

He stepped back, tilted his head, and peered at Eirathem. “It would be good to hear how the heir we believed to be lost in an accident, lived.”

“There was no accident,” said Eirathem in a hard voice. “My father sacrificed my mother and attempted to sacrifice me when I was but two years old. I still remember her screams. I have been told that since I was so young my magic aided me and I entombed myself, and then fell into a pit where a rhacon lived. She held me in her coils, stopping the bleeding with the healing secretions these snakes produce.”

He paused. “According to the one who told me this, I traveled through caves underground to the deep south of this land, to a region even now none of you dare to tread. They say it was there my dragon came to me. However, I remember none of this. I remember the pain, I remember darkness, and then…I remember my dragon.

“She took me to Puethion, where I learned to care for her and lived amongst a people called the Fremdefyr. I have reclaimed my birthright for one reason, and one reason only: to free the dragons.”

He turned and marched to the pit. He stood on the top stair and banged his staff hard upon the ground. Banim watched in awe as a dome of black mist surround the pit. Then it was as if the mist hardened and shattered, sending shards of black in all directions.

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“In the name of Eirathem, Casari of Myencihn, I declare the dragons free. Fly! Find your children, call them to your backs and take them to Puethion so they may learn to care for you as I learned to care for mine.”

Clouds of dust rose from the pit as one drab yellow dragon after another beat their great wings and took to the sky. After the dust cleared, the new Casari looked upon the remaining dragons and the boys in the pit with them.

“These boys may believe you are only beasts to serve them,” said Eirathem gravely to the dragons below. “However I know better. Call your children to your backs!”

For a few moments, all that could be heard was the terrified screams of boys as they flew head over foot through the air only to end right side up on their dragons’ backs. “Take them to Puethion so that they can learn to mind, care for you, and fly. Return not until they are ready to learn my ways! Fly!”

Watching from the trees, Banim’s heart sank. For he knew now exactly who this man was. And he had no doubt that quite soon the man would exact his revenge against him.

“Make no mistake,” said Eirathem to the counselor. “I am the Casari. Your Council of Elite is disbanded. You are my only counselor. I have walked this land for several years. I am well aware of the behavior of all the others, and that is the reason you will be the only one. For now, you shall find all those who call themselves overseers and send them straight to me.”

He said nothing else before he walked to his dragon, pulling a bag that hung around the creature's neck. He then marched into the old emperor’s stronghold.

Not ten minutes later, a gaggle of Munde women ran screaming from the stronghold. They were all scantily dressed in silks. One ran up to Banim.

"He says he needs no munda to warm his bed," said the woman quickly. But he kept the littlest."

Banim gazed at the stronghold, fearing the worst. What did the man want with a girl?

MEETING MAESTIR

Hours later, Banim trudged behind the overseer, Nelaer, dreading the meeting to come. He kept his eyes on the man’s boots as they walked. They stopped and he tensed as he heard a cold voice say, “Leave us.”

Banim stood, trembling, his eyes firmly placed on the ground.

“You may think you know why I have called you,” said Eirathem, “I assure you, you do not. You shall attend to me as mundoneu, my Munde man. If you prove yourself worthy you shall be a great deal more. You shall go out into those trees and retrieve the munda which clings to you and any children you care for and return to me.”

“I have no munda, Maestir,” denied Banim. Sweat poured down his neck. The man couldn’t know about Lyra!

“You dare to lie to me!” said the Casari harshly. “Well, I shall give you a very good reason never to do so again. Remove your shirt.”

Banim gulped convulsively, slowly lifting his arms with difficulty to remove the filthy object. The Casari had some sort of strange leather contraption on his arm. He flexed his wrist, and a wooden wand slipped into his hand. Eirathem flicked it, and all the items upon the desk floated over to sit in a nearby chair.

“Bend over the desk,” demanded the man.

Banim walked slowly and stiffly, and bowed over the desk obediently, clutching the edges. He closed his eyes, bracing himself.

“Why were you whipped?” demanded Eirathem

“To show me my place, Maestir,” said Banim, careful to keep any hint of resentment out of his voice.

The Casari’s voice resounded in the room. “Forsahndon!”

Boots clicked on the floor. “It had to have happened before, Casari,” the overseer said.

“Deal with it,” ground out Eirathem.

“Aye, Casari,” Nelaer sighed.

Banim flinched as a cloth was put on his back. It felt cool on his battered skin, and suddenly the pain of the cuts was gone.

“And now,” said Eirathem, “I shall show you why you shall not need to use that whip at your side again. This man has dared to lie to me. You will hold his hands.”

“Aye Casari,” said the overseer. He grabbed Banim’s wrists, holding them down firmly against the hard wood.

Banim forced himself to lie still and strained his ears to hear. Then he bellowed in pain as a lance of fire spread across his shoulders. He fought the overseer wildly trying anything to get free and put out the fire in his back.

The pain was suddenly gone as fast as it had come. Banim sobbed and sagged against the table in relief.

“That was but a taste of my second lash,” said Eirathem. “It burns like fire and lasts three hours if I don’t grant mercy as I just did. I assure you, when we let him up he will go out to those woods and tell every single man he knows that they don’t want to be sent here to receive that lash.”

That was the truth, Banim thought resentfully.

“Let go of his hands,” Eirathem ordered. “Now you stand up, keep those feet flat on the floor, those hands at your sides and lift that head of yours.”

As soon as he was released Banim slowly pushed up off the desk, and turned to face the Casari. He kept his hands stiffly held at his sides and raised his face to gaze at the man who was now his master.

“When I order you to attend to me that is just how you shall do it,” said the Casari emphatically. “You shall not cower before me; you shall face me like a man. And do not dare ever lie to me again. Now go out into those trees and get that pregnant munda and any children that cling to you and get them in here so they will be safe whilst you attend to the duties I give you. Go!”

Banim gulped and spun, spying the door and rushing from the room. He walked quickly down the corridor, his eyes darting around as he searched for the way out of the building. Finally, he found it and trudged out to find his family.

A short while later he walked back to the Emperor’s stronghold, a sobbing woman clinging to one hand, his youngest son Kendel gripping the other. Behind him plodded his oldest son Bellonien.

At the door of the stronghold, Nelaer waited. “This is all of them?” he asked.

“Aye, overseer,” said Banim obediently.

The man turned and opened the door and Banim reluctantly followed.

Soon Banim stood before the Casari, head bowed. Lyra was still sobbing quietly, and his youngest son’s hand trembled in his.

“How old are the boys?” demanded Eirathem.

“I know n-not Maestir,” whispered Banim.

“I told you not one hour ago,” said the Casari tersely, “That head of yours is to be raised and you are to face me like a man. If necessary, I will have the overseer fit a collar upon your neck until you learn to keep that head of yours lifted.”

Banim’s head popped up then, “Aye, Maestir,” he agreed.

“Now,” said Eirathem, “You shall teach those two boys to stand before their Maestir just as I have taught you.”

“Aye Maestir,” said Banim again.

He turned and knelt down, facing his young son. The boy was fidgeting. “Stand still,” he admonished. “Keep your hands at your sides and look up at Maestir.”

The boy gave a jerky nod. Banim stood and approached Bellonien, telling him the same thing in a soft voice. The boy glared at him but obeyed. Banim returned to his place in line, taking Lyra’s hand.

The Casari asked sternly, “Forsahndon?”

“Aye, Casari,” responded Nelaer.

“I prefer my Munde to be clean. See to it.” He pointed to the girl that sat playing with a doll in a corner. “Her as well,” he ordered.

“Aye, Casari,” responded the overseer.

But before they left the room, Eirathem said sternly, “The doll remains here.”

“She needs a bath,” whined the girl.

Eirathem crossed his arms. “If you show the others you know how a proper Munde girl is to act the toy will remain upon the desk. If you cannot, the toy goes up on the shelf and all shall see just how bad those little legs of yours can sting.”

The girl gulped, then obediently walked over and handed Eirathem the doll. He set it on the desk. “Go!” he said harshly.

The girl ran over and quickly took the overseer’s hand.

“This way,” said Nelaer calmly as he walked out the door with the girl, Banim, and his family following