Chapter 10

Just as Araya predicted snow did not fall in the Red city that winter. It wasn't that she disliked snow, quite the opposite, but in a busy city snow made life difficult, not only for her but for the common folk that just tried to survive another day. Cold itself never was an issue for even the most unskilled of Wielders, but the icy slush that formed in the busy streets was just too troublesome. Mixed with mud, dirt, and other unpleasant and unknown substances that littered the streets, of the great city she now called home, stained with such stubbornness it took a bit of skill to remove. Unlike most Wielders she knew, Araya did not enjoy Wielding her problems away, though some are just small conveniences, like a heat cloak, that make life easy, others are blatant indolence. She believed if she relied too much on Wielding she would disconnect from those she was most keen on helping. Her duty as advisor to the Emperor, placed her in a unique position to help those that were unfavored by elite centered policies of the Empire. Not only she now could propose amends to existing laws, but propose her own with great influence. She spoke for the Emperor himself, afterall.

Before she accepted the duty of advisor, she had insisted to keep her city home, small and quaint. Araya turned it into an office in which she would welcome the common folk, Wielderless, and poor to listen to their problems during her scarce freedays. Though she might have thought it to be a brilliant idea at first, people hardly came in. The first year not even one person tried to speak to her. They were even avoiding her in the streets. It took a lot of convincing and help from her friends and acquaintances from the local Academy to push a few unfortunate souls to speak their needs. She gladly gave them her ear and worked on the first proposals she had ever pushed forward in the favor of common folk. Of course, she was met with great resistance from the power hungry misers that called themselves Councilmen. It made her laugh that they lied so much that their work is for the betterment of the people that even they themselves believed it. In the end, people had seen her for a champion of the people, giving her the strength to hold fast against those venomous cheats. She was quite proud of her recent achievements which forced the Disciplinary Order to accept female Wielders within their ranks. There was still a great deal of work to be done, the misogynistic power structure of the Order will be a challenge to be reworked. She often dwelled on the need for the Order to exist, she found it flawed and ultimately serving other power hungry men instead of the people they swore to protect. But alas, jobs are jobs, people need to eat, even for Wielders. Not all of them were powerful or skilled enough to specialize, or join the Empire's forces, or even capable of reaching the rank of Master. As much as she hated the zealotry of the Order, people needed it, and she was, in her own words, a servant of the people.

"Thank you so much, Advisor Araya." Wielder Lwora sat in a comfortable armchair in Araya's city office. She quickly placed a bouquet of expertly picked flowers on her desk so that she couldn't refuse. Araya was known for not accepting gifts, she already had more than these people could amass in their lives. It would be in bad taste to accept gifts from them.

"Oh! Lwora, they're gorgeous." This time, she accepted the gift. Araya didn't have the heart of refusing one of her close friends from childhood. Lwora was lucky she knew her weakness. Persiwillows. With their much divided petals, glossy polish and subtle colors made for quite a display. These were a mix of the lightest dusting of blues and pristine whites.

"Aren't they? Went to that fancy place that just opened by Cardewell's, all run by Wielders. Their growth spells are insane!"

"It must've cost you a fortune, Lwora. Let me pay you back. I insist." Araya went for the drawer where she kept a few coin.

"You already paid me enough, Araya. I never thought I'd get a decent job! As a Wilder no less." she squealed in excitement. Araya gave her friend a pittied look and sighed.

"Are you sure that's what you want to do? The Disciplinary Order is..." she trailed off trying to find the perfect word while not insulting her friend.

"Shit? Full of women hater zealots that take word for word the teachings of the Creators literally?" she added air quotes when mentioned Creators, she believed the teachings were man made for the sole purpose of controlling the masses. And so did Araya.

"Well, for the lack of a better word, yes. Are you going to be alright, Lwora?" she asked concerned.

"Definitely, I may not be the most powerful Wielder, but I sure can protect myself." she punched the air a couple of times, making Araya roll her eyes, she didn't stand a chance if a more powerful Wielder would try something on her, she was a beautiful woman, after all. "And besides, it beats hauling shit in the sewers." Minor Wielders like her would get stuck with the lowers of jobs that even common folk would stay away from. It also didn't help that her family came from the lower parts of the outskirts. She single handedly was feeding her whole family.

Araya felt for her, but Lwora was too proud to accept a handout, she refused every time Araya wanted to give her money.

She sighed deeply. "I tried to warn you. Be very careful, especially since you're starting in a higher position right from the get go." Lwora nodded. "Here, i got you this." Araya pulled a simple, but beautiful broach that had a brown stone as its centerpiece.

"Oh, I can't possible, Araya."

"You must!" she insisted. She then showed she wore the same broach under her black cloak. "I don't trust the Disciplinary Order, not one bit. Now, this is something new. It's special bonding stone. If you're ever in need of anything, you simply touch the stone and you can talk to each other regardless of distance."

"No way! Bonding stones only work if you're in the same room!" She stopped up from the armchair and snatched the broach to inspect it. Araya laughed at her friend. She was so easily impressed.

"Here, we need to get mine set up, I already did yours." Araya took her broach and handed it to Lwora. "Just like you would with a normal bonding stone. It will calibrate to you." Lwora did just that and in moments she was done. "Perfect!"

Araya? Lwora tried it out.

I can hear you just fine, and sense your excitement. Damn it, Lwora, If you need to use the lavatory, just ask. Araya sighed. Something rustled through the window, gently floating in the room. She watched it getting closer to her friend

You know I'm damn shy, this place looks too fancy no-"ACK!" Lwora fell to the ground holding her eye. "What the flying fuck was that!? Shit! That hurts as mron kick to the groin!"

"Oh dear, Lwora. Are you alright?" Araya crouched down to inspect the damage, while stifling a laugh. She looked at her eye and sent a bit of Fios to take care of the swelling. "You'll live." she helped Lwora up.

"Fuck! Thanks, Aya. What was that?" She asked.

"It must've been Maven Marduke, he's not great at aiming these things." immediately Lwora made a puking sound. Araya grabbed the paper from the ground and unfolded it neatly and started to read.

"That guy rubs me the wrong way. What's it say?"

"Urgent business at the Keep. I'm afraid I have to cut our day short." Lwora was visibly sad, and cursed at Maven Marduke a few more times. "Let's meet again soon. I'll let you know when I'm off duty again." and pointed at the broach.

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The sheer opulence of the Red Keep saddened Araya. The luxuries of a single room could feed an entire village, but she kept her mouth shut. I didn't risk offending the Emperor, even if he allowed her certain liberties, one wrong word and all the good she could do in her position would simply vanish. She walked the high corridor to the scholar's wing, passing guard after guard, each greeted her 'Grand Master Advisor'. It irked her. She was more than just a title. She finally reached a tall ornate double door which she opened with a flourish of a hand. She needed to always remind those in the Red Keep who she was.

Just outside the doors, in the overly exaggeratedly high dome of the scholar's wing Ad'hm waited for her impatient tapping his foot.

"Ad'hm," she greeted.

"Grand Master Advisor Araya, just in time." he replied. She rolled her eyes to the back of her skull and sighed.

"You know how I hate that. Just Araya, or Advisor Araya will do, Ad'hm. We're been friends from more than a decade."

"I know." he laughed. "But you know how I love annoying you, Araya" he said in his sweet voice. She wasn't having it. She didn't want to hear it years ago when he confed, and she didn't want to hear it now. "Maybe after this -"

"How's Then?" she interrupted, pretending she didn't hear his last part.

"Oh, uhm, well." he scratched his stubble.

"Exactly." she smirked triumphantly. "Maven Tally." she called. Araya always suspected that the wrinkled bag of skin was as old as the Red Keep itself. She called again, and snapped her fingers until he finally responded.

"Ah, Grand Master. Advisor Araya. Always. A pleasure." he said between hardened breaths. Ad'hm snickered behind her. A simple glance over her shoulder silenced him. Oh, how she loved to have power over men, and they hated her for it.

"Where is Maven Marduke, we have urgent business to attend." she asked. He looked at her confused and just grunted. "MAVEN. MARDUKE." she yelled slapping the desk besides him.

"Don't need. To yell. Grand Master. Advisor Araya. He's in the. Lab. doing..."

"Thank you, Maven Tally, that will be all." she curtly nodded and moved through the maze like bookshelves to the staircase.

"Someone needs to replace that man. He just shaved two years of my life in one sentence." Ad'hm joked.

"Maven Tally is one of the most brilliant men to have walked this keep. But, I do want a word to whomever appointed him as secretary bookkeeper." They have soon arrived in front of Maven Marduke's laboratory on the second level. Araya let herself in and was instantly greeted by the Maven who jumped to his feet to bow. The room had a distinct unpleasant smell of ammonia. Araya hoped it was from one of the Maven's experiments. The walls were filled with strange objects and artifacts. Papers scattered all over the place, books laid on the ground and what some seemed like precious ancient scrolls unraveled next to spillage hazards. She sighed and ignored the mess.

"Grand Mast - "

"Advisor Araya is fine." she interrupted.

"Yes, Advisor Araya. Master Ad'hm. Thank you for your fast arrival." The maven scurried to one of his desks grabbing a piece of paper. "We have something."

"About time." Ad'hm interjected.

"Yes, Master Ad'hm." the maven agreed. "A part of the text that you and your team had brought from the...expedition, was a list of locations of Creator's temples and- you won't believe this - cities. Actual cities of the Creators. Man, you have any idea what this means?" the Maven said ecstatic.

"A great deal, Maven." Araya replied, fully understanding the implications. "But we need to stick to our objective, Emperor's orders. If other valuable information comes to light after the fact, than so be it, but please focus."

"Yes, of course Advisor Araya."

"Was this it" Ad'hm asked, grabbing a chair.

"No, no. We do have another important discovery. It seems the womb of E'a as, they so rightfully call it in the scriptures Ad'hm's team brought in, was relocated. The reason, well, the scriptures say in our initial translations that there was an attack on the seat of power." Ad'hm gasped. Araya was too shocked. Whoever had the power to attack the Cretors must've been a force of nature itself, on the level of the gods. "Yes, quite. We are inclined to go with mistranslations, the text had smudged or our precursors lacked a better word for glyphs. Nothing can oppose the Cretors." the Maven confirmed.

"Maven Marduke, you are to keep every piece of information you translate to yourself and those helping you translate. Do I make myself clear?" Araya ordered.

"Yes, Advisor Araya. Very well so. We are aware what such information, if leaked, might cause throughout the Empire and beyond."

"Good. And the artifact?"

"Yes. The Emperor will be well pleased when he finds out that we have located the womb of E'a in one of their lost cities. Ar'un to be precise" Araya sighed in relief

"I think you are celebrating too early, Araya." Ad'hm looked at the Maven as he fidgeted with the paper and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"What is it, Maven?" she asked.

"Well, there's one tiny problem. Just a small inconvenience, I would say.'

"Just say it already, Maven." she was growing tired of him, but as everyone else around the Emperor he was just trying his best to keep his head on his shoulders.

"Very well. The location is rather, inaccessible." he quickly moved to another table and threw the scrolls and papers on the ground with a swipe of his hands and a grunt. revealing a map of the continent Izea.

"He has a flair for the dramatics." Ad'hm whispered. Araya ignored him. She looked at the map, and saw the Empire dominating the southern portion, with few islands and bits of the continent remaining unmarked. While the north belonged to the Frey. "Here." the Maven pointed at an X on the map. Araya's eyebrows knit with concern and groaned. This would be interesting.

"That's more than a small inconvenience. Are you sure, Maven? There has to be a mistake." Ad'hm asked with a tinge of nervousness in his voice.

"Quite so, I'm afraid. We have triangulated the location using the landmarks described in the scriptures. At least the general vicinity, that is."

"Very well. This won't dissuade Emperor Ryel. Prepare your team for departure at once. I will inform the Emperor. Oh, and Ad'hm. I hope you can swim." Araya smirked.