Eastern Moonrise Empire - New Moon Palace
Elethan's eyes blurred and his head was pounding. He had been reading documents and ledgers for the last twelve hours and the sense of impending doom had increased with each line. The empire was in massive debt. Most of its highest ranking ministers and nobles clearly receiving bribes from foreign kingdoms. The army was practically starving. How his father had kept all this hidden from the public he can only guess, but these things were only the symptoms of some deeper sickness.
It was clear his brother had ordered the assassination of his father. The inept prince actually kept the soul binder contract ordering the hit in his personal chambers. After its discovery, it had immediately been tested, in an attempt to trace the magic to the matching contract that the assassin surely had, but too late. The contract lit aflame, destroying itself, signifying the killer had completed the contract, before the test could be completed.
Though it was obvious, watching the contract burn, knowing that the assassin was still alive and that somewhere in the city, right at this second, some faceless killer was wiping his fathers blood on his side of the contract, had infuriated Elethan. Red faced, he had ordered the search of every nook and cranny in his brother and father's chambers. This had led to the discovery of several personal journals and ledger books marking out plainly payments received and given in secret. Elethan had then ordered tax records, crop yields, military records, and information on many other aspects of the empire.
It was now well past noon and, Elethan sat in his fathers modest study with books and records stacked around him as if he was a young boy building a play fort. Looking up from the current blurring lines of text, he lets out a deep and weak sounding sigh. He would never have expected his limp-wristed brother to be so bold. In fact he highly doubted that it had been Aremus' idea at all. How had his father let it come to this? If the goal was to have his brother as a puppet emperor, who would be pulling the strings? Was this why Neplu had intervened on his behalf? Was there another god involved? Also the boy, Corbin, his "champion". He was involved in all this surely.
Thinking of the boy Elethan turns to view the afternoon sun through the high windows in the study. He had sent Mickael with a squad of palace guards to retrieve this "champion" at dawn. What could be taking so long...
*knock knock*
"Enter." called Elethan as he stands and looks toward the heavy oak door to the study.
The door opens and, coincidentally, the person entering is Mickael. He strides across the room in military fashion and stands before Elethan in the chrome chain and half plate of the palace guard, straight as an iron bar.
"Reporting, Your Highness." he says clasping his right fist over his heart.
Elethan stands frozen for a second. Mickael had been with him for years. He wanted to reach out and place a hand on his shoulder like he used to. He wanted to tell Mickael to call him Elethan, that things were still the same. But they weren't. He was the emperor now, or would be upon his coronation, and things would never be the same between them.
Feeling a deep sense of loss and sadness for the hundredth time today, he replied simply.
"Continue."
Elethan watched as a series of emotions flashed across his trusted guards face. Quivering he finally dropped to one knee looking at the floor.
"Apologies, Your Grace, I have failed you!" he hoarsely speaks to Elethan's feet "The boy ran and we were unable to track him or discern his whereabouts."
"Mehhh...." Elethan sighs deeply looking at Mickael shaking his head "For Neplu's sake Mickael stand up and fucking relax."
Snapping his head up, Mickael sees Elethan's wry grin and relief is clear on his face as he stands.
"Now take a breath, calm down, and tell me plainly.... What happened?" he asks
"To be honest.... I can't make heads or tails of it." says Mickael with a puzzled expression "One thing's for sure though, he was there when we inquired about him, and ran like his ass was on fire the moment he found out."
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Corbin was six years old. He was running through small orchard at the back of his home with his sister, Aeris. He had always been skinny and shorter than most of the other kids he knew. Plain, he had heard people call him. Aeris was the opposite. Even at six years old he thought of his eight year old sister as beautiful, not to mention every adult commenting on how pretty she was. They played together a lot, her blonde hair contrasting with his black, because of how close in age they were.
Today it was hide and seek in the orchard. Aeris had counted first. She always counted first. As she counted Corbin ran quickly and quietly behind a large apple tree snickering, thinking it would be some time before his sister found him. Unexpectedly, things turned out different.
Finishing her count, his sister ran at full speed directly toward his position, sprinting around the tree to tag him.
"Hah! Got youuu." She said smiling in triumph
"Cheater!" called out Corbin embarrassed "You looked!"
"I did not!" she cried brows furrowing "I heard you running!"
A strange feeling began to rise in Corbin. His head became fuzzy and his face felt like it was near an open fire.
"Liar!" he screamed as his heart began to pound "I was quiet, you didn't hear! You peaked liar!"
With a shocked expression the beautiful little girl put her hands on her hips and raised her voice.
"Corbin Hargrave, I am not a liar! I heard you running!" she screamed back at the normally quiet little boy.
But by this time Corbin couldn't even hear her through the pounding of his heart in his ears. He was breathing deeply and quickly, his face felt like it was on fire, and he was sweating big drops of sweat. Anger swept through him from some unknown place. Quick and furious rage swept through him like a foreign invader. He didn't understand why he was angry, he loved his sister more than any other person in the world. He would never treat her this way, but the feeling swelled inside him, making him feel like he was bursting at the seems. The pressure in his head was agonizing! He had to let it out! Taking a deep breath, drawing in as much air as his small lungs could handle, he bellowed at the top of his voice.
"LIAAAAAAAAR!!!!!" he screamed with his eyes clamped tightly shut
As he screamed something snapped. Like a dam suddenly bursting, not just the anger but also all of his strength fled him in a sudden burst and he dropped to his knees in exhaustion.
*squish*
Weak and trembling he opened his eyes and stared down at the dampness he was feeling coming from his knees. His eyes widened as he stared at some sort of red liquid that covered the previously yellow and green leaves on the ground. Slowly he raised his head to see his surroundings. His mind was fuddled. He saw clearly, but could not make any sort of sense of what he saw. First, a small, pale, blood smattered arm, severed cleanly, lying on the reddened earth. Next, a pair of tiny feet, wrapped in a bundle of blood soaked cloth. Connected to those feet were tender white legs, and further on blue panties stained purple with blood. Above, a navel and further still, where one would expect nipples, shoulder, neck and head, there was nothing. As if sliced by a massive razor, the upper portion of the body was not there.
Corbin's mind was still blurry. He saw it all, but it didn't register. No thoughts were formed until he turned his gaze slightly and landed upon his sister's face. Lying on the ground without arms and only the upper part of her torso still connected, her head was turned to the side and her eyes stared directly at Corbin. The shock of seeing her grey eyes, that he knew so well, jump started his mind, and the morbid reality of what he was seeing crashed down upon him like a tidal wave.
He wanted to scream. He wanted to help. He wanted to tear his own eyes out to stop seeing. Instead he knelt there frozen, horrified, and the scream that wanted to escape him was turned into a barely audible whimper. Then his sister began to talk....
"You killed me.." she whispered
"No..." Corbin whispered back as the tears started to fall down his cheeks
"You killed me..." she said with more force and an evil smile spread her blood spotted cheeks exposing pointed cruel looking teeth.
"No... Aeris I..." whispered the terrified boy
Aeris' upper torso began to wriggle as she used her stumped arms to turn her body over, and lying on her stomach, started to use the bloody leftovers to crawl toward the kneeling Corbin.
"Yoouuuu killed meee..." spoke Aeris in a half whisper half growl. As she crawled her eyes changed, slowly fading into a darkness black as night.
"You... You're not Aeris... you're not..." said Corbin as his guilt and terror spiked crazily.
"You killed meee!!" growl turning to a high pitched shout, the thing was mere inches from Corbin. Using unnatural strength, it shot itself forward with its broken stumps and collided with the boy landing on top of him. Slowly inching up the boy until it was face to face, the beastly smile widened as it peered deep into his eyes.
"Who... Who are you-hoo-hoo?" questioned the boy, finally breaking down into frightened, blubbering sobs.
Then, in a perfect imitation of his sister cute voice, the creature said
"My name is Set, Corbin, and you will be mine, forever...hahahah! HAHAHAHAHA!!" the insane little girl laughed incessantly as Corbin closed his eyes and sobbed. The pounding in his ears returned and he wished for death with all his might.
*Pound*
*Pound*
*Pound*
*Pound Pound Pound*
"Young Master!... Young Master! You need to awaken immediately!" said an urgent sounding voice through the door as Corbin bolts upright in his bed, drenched in sweat and breathing like a marathon runner.
Jerking his head around, trying to make sense of his surroundings, he realizes that he's home, in his bed. A dream. Just a dream.
[You'd think I'd be used to that one by now.] he thinks, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs.
*Pound Pound Pound*
"Young Master!... It's urgent!" spoke the determined voice.
The servants rarely ever even spoke to him, let alone forcefully pound on his door.
[It truly must be urgent] he thinks springing out of his bed.
Opening the door enough to let his face be visible he looks at the old man outside, who was clearly excited about something.
"What's wrong?" questioned Corbin
"Young Master," the man said speaking quickly "A captain of The Imperial Palace Guards is here with a squad of men. They have orders to escort you to the palace. They say it is on direct order of the emperor himself.... Your father is quite anxious as there have been rumors since morning of an attack of some sort in the palace. He demands you presence immediately." finished the man in a grave tone.
The world ground to a halt for Corbin. The palace? The Emperor? Not THAT emperor... he's dead... so the new one? It was common knowledge that the heir apparent was a dim witted lout. But why else? House Hargrave was a noble house, but a low ranking one, and with no real ambition either. Also, it was not his father that was requested but him. No, no , no, there was only one explanation, but if that was so, why only a squad of palace guards. If they really expected him to be the one who killed the emperor, they would have sent an army to surround the place.
"Of course, tell my father I am dressing and will attend him immediately." said Corbin snapping out of his thoughts.
"Yes!" replied the man sprinting off
Quickly Corbin shut, locked, and propped a chair against the door. He had no intention of going to the palace, and though a chair wasn't much defense if anyone really wanted to get in, every second of delay would be in Corbin's benefit. Spinning around he grabbed a handful of clothes and the small pouch he carried last night during the murder. Feeling the contents he nearly falls over in shock.
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[Shit!] he thinks [I never completed the contract!]
Last night he had been so exhausted, he had barley maintained his consciousness long enough to drag himself through his window and onto his bed. Still in his "work" clothes, he pulls out the spike he had used to kill king shitty britches. Afterward he opens the pouch and retrieves the contract and ring, then wipes some still sticky blood off of the spike onto the contract. Erupting in flames the contract disintegrates and a flash of light surges as the ring transforms into a book bound in black leather, with a dark grey metal lock wrapped around the middle. Without taking too much time to examine it, Corbin puts the book back in the pouch, picks up his clothes and drops silently out his window to the ground below. Scanning his surroundings, he then sprints nimbly toward the nearest shadow and disappears.
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"When we were told that the boy had bolted, my first thought was to question his father, Craigan." continued Mickael
"I see," replied Elethan "and the father knew nothing of where the boy might flee to?"
"That's the thing..." said Mickael with a complex expression "His father acted like he barely knew the boy..."
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Mickael found himself in a comfortable, brightly lit study, standing before a large, heavy looking dark wood desk. The man seated behind the desk, Craigan Hargrave, sat staring at him with a complicated look on his burly, dark haired, and bearded face.
"I'm not sure what he's done.." spoke the man in a deep voice "but if you're want to ask me where he might be, my answer is I have no idea..."
"Why do you assume he must have done something?" questioned Mickael. The man's tone was strange and the captain felt there was more to what he said.
"I'm just assuming..." said Hargrave, rolling his shoulders "It's been years since the boy relied on me for anything more than financial support. Besides, he's so quiet and secretive with everyone. In my experience... only people with secrets act secretively...."
At this point Craigan gets a haunted look in his eyes and they glaze over as if remembering something traumatic, then speaks in a far less self confident voice...
"Ever since that day... he's never been the same..." he says
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"That day?" asks Elethan as his interest begins to rise "what day? what happened?"
"Yes." speaks Mickael preparing to relay his impression of what had happened. "Apparently, ten years ago, Corbin's sister was murdered in front of his eyes. According to his father, which was backed up by reports from long time Hargrave staff, a psychotic sword master of some kind had sneaked onto the Hargrave property and slashed out against the poor girl."
"Sword master?" questioned Elethan
"Yes, the people we questioned reported that the girl was sliced in half so cleanly, that she had not even moved from the position she was cut in. Her body simply fell into separated pieces where she stood." continued Mickael "The boy was discovered kneeling next to her corpse covered in blood and tearing at his own face with his fingernail. He was said to have been screaming no over and over again so fiercely that blood frothed from his mouth until he passed out. When he awoke he was incapable of speech for several months, and when he regained his words he claimed to have no memory of the event."
"And what do you think" another question from Elethan
"I was unsure and curious.... but unable to gather more information on that day." replied Mickael with another strange expression "Your Highness, the mystery does not end there."
"No? What else?"
"In an attempt to follow the boy's steps, I called for the finest beastman trackers in the capitol. They were unable to find the boy's trail on the outside of the manor but they did sniff out a high concentration of his scent in a unused wing inside the house." Said Mickael as his eyes brightened, enjoying strangeness of the memory "We traced him to a certain wall where his scent disappeared. Searching the area we found a hidden trigger connected to a lamp hanger and the wall slid aside to reveal a room filled with many odd things."
Pausing he pulls a slip of paper out of his sleeve and begins to list the contents of the room.
"Within we found highly precise alchemy equipment, as well as many books. There were foundational studies on alchemy, high wizardry, and even scattered writings on necromancy. Also on the shelves were clearly antique religious texts of varying beliefs, some of them seem very, very old. Other books seem to be personal journals of famous and historic elementals... dozens of them. Beyond that there were also healing potions and powders of varying strength and a few poisons too. Lastly, there were many weapons laid out on a rack. Nearly all the weapons are small and easily concealable." finished Mickael calmly
Elethan was in shock... high wizardry? Necromancy? Personal journals of elementals? A single page from an instructional book on high wizardry could bankrupt a slightly wealthy house. Not to mention anything having to do with the forbidden magic of Necromancy. Some powerful men would slay thousands without a second though to get their hands on that.
"My Lord, I'm no scholar, but if i had to guess, some of these books can't be bought... No amount of money would be sufficient. Many of these writings would be considered heritage treasures for religious sects." spoke Mickael candidly, breaking Elethan out of his thoughts.
"How then?..." questioned Elethan mostly to himself
"I couldn't say, Your Highness, but one thing is for sure... It wasn't with House Hargrave's wealth. The room alone is worth a thousand times anything Craigan could scrounge together." replied Mickael "Besides, I believe the greater question is: why?"
"Why?... yes, why indeed..." spoke Elethan his mind beginning to turn "What do we have then...? A boy sees his sister murdered. Claims he doesn't remember, but his personality changes drastically. Over time his secretive and paranoid nature increases and he collects a massive amount of knowledge focusing, it seems, on magical or supernatural subjects."
Pausing for a moment in thought, Elethan nods his head as if he has come to some understanding and says "So... he remembers his sister's murder then. That much is obvious. Also, according to what he's looking into, the culprit is likely to be a magical being of some sort and not a wondering lunatic swordsman."
"Revenge." says Mickael in complete agreement with everything Elethan had said. "He wants to know his enemy. I believe the boy is preparing for battle at all costs, and this has lead him into some shady dealings. How else could such a young man amass such a wealth of information. It would also explain why he ran in the first place."
At this point Elethan was nodding his head. The two men completely in sync with their thoughts. It all made a twisted sort of sense after all. The far fetched tale was a bit hard to swallow but that all lessened once one realized that the less believable parts of the story were the only ones they could verify as fact. The mysterious murder. The hidden treasure room. The secretive teen. It was only the mundane parts of the narrative that they were guessing at.
"Heh" Elethan lets out a bitter laugh shaking his head.
[Here I am] he thinks [Leader of a failing empire, rife with leeches and filled with traitors, and the only help my Great God is supposed to have given me is currently making every effort to avoid the chains he thinks I'm going to throw on him... How ridiculous]
"Mickael," he says after a few moments of self pity "You've done well. Thank you very much my friend."
Sapping fist to chest Mickael replies "My honor to serve, Your Highness."
"Have a detailed description of the boy written up and sent to me, then return to you duties." says Elethan ending the conversation.
*snap*
"Yes, my Lord." says Mickael, formally. Then strides with purpose out the door.
Sitting back down in his father's chair Elethan begins rubbing his temples to alleviate the headache that was gaining in strength. He would send the boys description out through private channels with firm instructions not to harm him. Hopefully he could be brought in and reasoned with, after all, Elethan was the leader of an empire. Perhaps they could help each other in their pursuits.
Looking down at the stacks and stacks of reports before him, his frown deepens. He now knew... For too long this land had been fallen victim to foreign control and influence. There would be no way to win the traitors back over, and the rest would catch on if he quietly got rid of them one by one.
Purge
When a limb turns gangrenous, you strike it off. Yes, you're less because of it, but at least you live.
He decided.
This afternoon he would announce his father's death. The empire would mourn for three days. On the third day the nobility of Thoth would attend the palace for a banquet in memory of the late emperor, and for many it would be their last supper.
Smiling wickedly, Elethan pondered about what scholars would call that night. Other famous massacres in history had been given special names like The Decade of Death. Maybe his day would be called The Bloody Feast or The Banquet of Blood....
With renewed vigor he looked back to the piled sheets of paper surrounding him. Until then he had work to do.....
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The river Nevra ran south from the great forest cutting straight through the eastern side of the Eastern Moonrise Empire. Snuggling up to the west side of the capitol, Thoth, it continues south for hundreds of miles to enter the Qin kingdom. On the southwest end of Thoth, resting on a large floating barge, there is an Inn. Dock's End. Where the roughs, drunks, and sailors spend coin on women and drinks. All are welcome, no questions asked. Just one rule. You break it, you buy it and that goes for the women too!
It was nearly midnight and the shady looking patrons were just now starting to truly loosen up and get a bit rowdy, when the door opened and in walked a young dark haired boy. Wearing some strange dark grey outfit that stuck tight to his skinny frame, the boys smooth skin and pale complexion marked him as far out of place. Though some few nefarious eyes lingered most of the loud men simply glanced and went back to their drink or woman or dice.
Approaching the boy, a voluptuous woman in an extremely low cut top and apron walked up and said
"You a little lost there, love?" in a sweet voice that didn't match her large breasts and weathered face
"No." the boy said simply, clearly not intending to be drawn into conversation.
".... A'right then, wot'll it be, deary? Lookin for a bed? Per'aps a little lovely ta 'elp ya warm it?" she questioned jokingly
"A room." another deadpan response from the youth.
For a quick moment the woman paused and contemplated whether she should be taking offense to this stoic twerp. She had just been trying to keep him from getting robbed and killed in the first place. Eventually she decided to just get on with it.
"Right then, name's Alsinet, an you? Wot do I call you, love?" she asked leading the way to the upstairs where the rooms were.
"Set." said the boy "My name is Set...."