Chapter 17

"FUCK!" Emperor Ryel screamed from the top of his lungs and in a fit of rage flung his arms across his expensive hardwood desk throwing everything on the ground. His fists battering the wood in frustration. "Maven Marduke," he said between clenched teeth. His eyes menacingly looking up at the fat stubby man prostrating himself in front of the Emperor. "How many weeks have you wasted trying to make the artifact work? How many more must I wait?" He demanded.

"Your Imperial Majesty, I beg of you," the fat man whimpered. "There have been no records of how the apparatus works. The writings that Ad'hm's team brought did not detail anything on how it functions, your Imperial Majesty."

"I do not care!" He shouted so loud, even the guards outside his study audibly flinched in their armor. "You have at your disposal the brightest minds in the whole fucking Empire, Maven. You're telling me you cannot make a simple slab of crystal work?"

"With all due respect, your Imperial Majesty, the Creators' technology is beyond our comprehension. We need to know more." The man squeezed his eyes, face flat on the ground, not daring to look up. One wrong movement and his life would be over.

The Emperor palmed his face in annoyance and sighed heavily. "I am a patient man, Maven. But that patience is finite. Tell me everything you were able to find out, in detail." He demanded.

"Very well, your Imperial Majesty." The maven remained in the strainful position, his back and joints ached from old age but he ignored it at the best of his abilities. With a strained voice he began. "The apparatus presents minuscule grooves in geometric patterns, at first they seem random, insignificant, but they have the ability to contain Fios, your Imperial Majesty."

"Interesting... I'm certain you and your men have already tried to feed it Fios. What were the results?" The Emperor asked.

"Indeed so, your Imperial Majesty. When Fios is introduced in geometric grooves, it simple holds onto the energy. We've brought in our best empaths to sense the energy dispersal, even Ad'hm, as he has first hand experience with Creator's technology. It seems that the grooves, although similar to those encountered in the lost city of the Creators, are far more complex than those used to open the doors in the pyramid structure, your Imperial Majesty. Ad'hm related in his reports that the doors simply absorbed the energy and reacted. The apparatus just holds the Fios with no reaction until it begins to naturally decay into ambient energy." The Maven related his rehearsed speech.

The Emperor sighed again. "This tells me nothing, Maven. What else have you found?"

With his heart beating faster and faster, worrying about his life coming to an end from the slightest mistake, Maven Marduke continued. "The apparatus presents two cylindrical openings, made of a metal we have never seen before, your Imperial Majesty. The cylindrical openings have a central prong that is highly reactive to Fios, itself. I'm glad to report, your Imperial Majesty, that we do have records of such apertures detailed in the writings Ad'hm has brought. The ancient texts call them conduits, your Imperial Majesty. Used to channel constant supply of energy to the apparatus. We have, of course, conducted numerous experiments and trials trying to figure out how they work. Our latest breakthrough, that was aided by the writings, was that the conduits respond positively to energy fluctuations. We believe that these oscillations, depending on frequency and amplitude, control the apparatus, your Imperial Majesty." The Maven awaited for the Emperor's reply, but none came. It seemed Emperor Ryel was deep in thought.

"You're telling me that through these...conduits one would send commands to the artifact?"

"Yes, your Imperial Majesty. Very astute observation, indeed. There are more experiments to follow to observe the effects different oscillations have on the apparatus."

"How long?" The Emperor simply asked. He was growing tired of the fat man.

"I beg your pardon, your Imperial Majesty?"

"How long do do you need? Do not make me repeat myself, Maven."

"At least four months, your Imperial Majesty."

Another thud of the Emperor's fists made the Maven flinch. "Very well. You have three months, Maven. I want trials to start immediately after we secure the Jurisa passage in Bahal. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, your Imperial Majesty. Very generous indeed. I would not have hoped for a better -"

"Dismissed." The Emperor interrupted and the Maven immediately took his leave without a word.

The Emperor turned his attention to his right to Araya. "Wel, what do you think of all this?"

"May I speak freely, your Imperial Majesty?" she bowed her head in curtsy.

"Of course, Araya. And call me Ryel."

"My duty bounds from such travesty, your Imperial Majesty. Thank you," she bowed again. "I believe Maven Marduke is making tremendous progress with the artifact given the circumstances." Araya began pacing around the lavishly decorated study, stopping near the Emperor's most prized possession, studying the glass encasement of the pod that was displayed proudly. Few could enter the Emperor's study, only at his behest. Not even his guard was allowed in. She looked at the being inside. It was incredible. Viscous liquid bubbled inside and around the being. She was one of a handful humans on the planet to witness a Creator in bone and flesh. "From Ad'hm's reports the city is too dangerous for prolonged missions to gather more information. With war on our doorstep, we cannot spare any long incursions in the city. During their departure from the location, although the team disposed of thousands of infected, there was no end to them. Ad'hm and his team are still recovering, your Imperial Majesty. Even Danil, which will be indispensable to conquer Jurissa."

The Emperor sighed. "I was hoping for a different response, but so be it. Bahal comes first, we need those crystals in our control for the main plan to advance, my personal goals can wait. How is Danil, by the way?"

"He is fully healed, thanks to the imperial healers, but the psychological damage he suffered from seeing infected Creators requires more work. All of them, in fact, even Ad'hm. I'm inclined this isn't just psychological trauma, your Imperial Majesty. I believe there was something in that city that afflicted their heads." Araya replied with her back turned. Still inspecting the being in the pod. She brushed her hand over the glass, it felt thick. "Not even bonding stones can help." She added as an afterthought.

"Damn it. How are we doing with transportation, any updates?"

"The ley lines are halfway done, your Imperial Majesty. I expect its completion within two months."

"Good, finally some good news. I need you to make sure Danil is capable of doing his part of the plan. If he's still unstable by the time we fire on Jurissa brief in Lector."

"Emperor Ryel!" Araya lowered her head and began speaking. "I strongly advise against relying on Grand Master Lector. He has a history of not following orders and has a...." she paused to find her words. "troubled past, your Imperial Majesty."

"I know all about that imbecile, Araya. I'm sure he'll behave if threatened with castration. He knows I'm a man of my word. And now I can keep an eye on him, literally." Emperor Ryel held up a small bonding stone, similar to that on Araya's broach, but in a much darker color. "The mavens, old fools they are, I'd go as far as to say childish, but genius indeed. What I'm about to tell you, will not leave this room, understand?" Araya bowed her head in respect to the Emperor. "This, right here, they call it a Seer Stone. Derived from the bonding stone sample we got from the thousand mile cave, but much more powerful. It doesn't need any attunement to the Wielder, just skin contact and everything they see will be relayed back to the main stone." Emperor Ryel smiled in triumph.

"Your Imperial Majesty, even the unblessed?" Araya gasped.

"Indeed, it works even with lowly animals." He laughed. "I will be able to have eyes everywhere. In the sky, on the battlefield, in their own filthy cities." He continued to laugh for a good few minutes before he sighed in contempt. He was pleased with himself and the plan that was possible only with these simple little stones. They will allow him to bring the world to his knees. "You understand why the Bahal is such an important conquest, Araya?"

"Yes, your Imperial Majesty. Creators only know what other stones we might find in there. Our spies tell us the Bahal governance is oblivious of the caves, were it not for the texts of Gun'dah'lari we too would have passed them for mere crop fields."

"Indeed, fools, insurmountable treasure right beneath their noses and they grow Scaffa grass!" The Emperor laughed, tears stream down his cheeks. "Still, their offenses are strong. Their tamers pose a real threat, that's why we need Danil for Jurissa."

"I understand, your Imperial Majesty." Araya waited a moment to see if her Emperor had anything else to say. At first she opposed storming Bahal even Emperor Ryel's father had initiated multiple incursions in the Bahal plains and not one was successful. It seemed foolish going against the tamers of monsters. But now, the tactical advantage this Seer stone gave to their troops, to adjust in real time based on the enemy's location, they wielder would not have to be so thinly spread. The possibilities were endless. The ways that little brown stone could be used to gather precious information that would be communicated instantly to their troops was a real game changer. After the Emperor did not continue, Araya took it upon herself to further the conversation. "And this?" she began. "What plan does your Imperial Majesty have for a flesh and bone Creator?" she asked.

"Maven Marduke wants to resurrect the Creator, not everyday you find a living Creator."

"And you, your Imperial Majesty, what do you want?"

"I want to know its secrets, Araya, but if we resurrect it now, it's too unpredictable. We don't know how it will react, how the people will react. My visions have stopped. I have been hoping more visions would come telling me how to use the artifact, what to do with the Creator, but there's nothing." Emperor Ryel pulled on his short beard in thought. "Maybe, resurrecting it won't be such a bad idea, if Maven Marduke fails on operating the artifact."

Araya didn't dare go against the Emperor on such a touchy subject. She knew how badly he wanted power of his own. So she changed the subject.

"Indeed, your Imperial Majesty, and so it happens I received a report on the slave. It seems its power is growing even more than you have expected. It was a wise choice sending it away."

"Good, good. Only the best for an Emperor. And councilman Ameral? Is he asking questions again?"

"I'm afraid not, your Imperial Majesty. And that's what I fear. I believe he has found another way of gathering information and has abandoned interrogating me or your guard."

"That fool... Send word to me immediately if you find anything out. I want this to remain between the two of us only, Araya. My cousin doesn't know the worth of his own life."

"Very well, your Imperial Majesty."

"By the way, that's a very lovely broach you have, Araya." The Emperor smiled sweetly at her. "You never wear anything I give you."

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Lwora sat comfortably in the big armed chair in Araya's town home, toying with her broach, as usual, enjoying a warm cup of very bad tea. She never learned how to make one properly and always let Araya do the work for her. But this time when Lwora arrived, Araya was nowhere to be seen. She had used the spare key Araya gave her and let herself in. Usually she was the one being late to their meetings, not Araya.

The door opened after Lwora's second cup. She feared she might have to leave early due to a bad stomach because of her inability to prepare the damned satchels.

"Araya!" Lwora jumped from the armchair refusing to take another sip.

"Sorry I'm late, Lwora. I see you made yourself at home." she laughed.

"Yeah, I think your tea satchels expired." She crinkled her nose.

"That's what you always say. Let me fix you a decent cup." Araya pulled off her coat and in a few moments the tea was ready and hot. She took a sip as she sat down behind her desk and let out a soft moan. "I needed that."

"Though day at work?" Lwora asked.

"The worst. So, what did you want to talk about?"

"The Disciplinary Order, Araya. I couldn't say anything over the bonding stone. I fear they have ears all around the place. They're nuts!" Lwora exploded from her armchair.

"Calm down, what exactly is happening?"

"A good few weeks ago, I'd say more than a month, the head of the Disciplinary Order here in Red Keep announced something incredible. New lost texts of the Creators were discovered and are currently being studied."

Don't tell me someone leaked those... Araya used every ounce of self control she had not to roll her eyes.

"That' can't be," she said trying to act surprised.

"Oh, but it is!" Lwora was on her own two feet, pacing back and forth in Araya's small office. "Those asinine, imbecile, stupid, brainless, asshats."

"Yes, most of those are synonyms, go on..." Araya gave a soft laugh.

"No time for jokes, Araya. I'm being serious. They are planning on re-writing the scripture with those texts and they are even more outlandish than before!"

"Don't let anyone besides me hear you talking like that, Lwora. I mean it!" Araya warned.

"Don't worry, I know. I've been careful."

"What do they want to change?" She asked, curious. The scripture was already very strict on every aspect of their lives. From the way they dressed, to the way the had sex, and even the role of a woman in society. When Emperor Ryle appointed Araya as the Imperial Advisor the Disciplinary Order were riled up and tried to have her beaten to death, were it not for the Emperor giving her immunity by law and her raw power. If it were any other other woman, just a simple law would not have helped her one bit.

"I only know a few changes, overheard the Head talking to the Cardinal during my daily prayers." Lwora made a disgusting face, but a well paying work was well paying work and she didn't complain much. But this was more than she could tolerate. "They want to classify the unblessed population beneath, us Wielders, Araya. They want to strip their rights to own land and businesses own anything!" Lwora almost yelled.

Araya covered her mouth in disbelief. "The Emperor will not allow it, Lwora. That is absurd. They don't have the power to enact such change."

"I'm not sure about that, Ary." Lwora's shoulders sagged and she fell in the armchair taking a sip to wet her throat. "They're the ones who enforce the Laws of Creators. The first emperor gave them that authority during the first conquest in the name of the Creators. And not only that! They want to place women as slaves to their husbands, stripping them of their jobs and possessions, and their only reason for existing was to have children and raise them! Araya, we cannot let this happen!" Lwora placed her cup of tea with such force on the plate it spilled and shattered. "Sorry - I'll pay for it." She bowed her head in shame.

"Don't worry about it." With the wave of her hand, Araya, cleaned the mess and fixed the cup and plate, as if nothing ever happened. "If what you're saying is true, then this is a serious problem. But I can't take action without any evidence, Lwora."

"Leave that to me. Everyone avoids looking me in the eye. They never notice me, it's like I'm invisible.

"The joy of being a woman in a men dominated work." Araya joked then sighed heavily. What Lwora was claiming was something unprecedented. No Disciplinary Order up to date had ever tried to change the Scripture without the Emperor's full support and approval. This not only meant that an uprising of the Disciplinary Order was about to start, but also that there was a traitor among the Mavens. Someone had let slip the texts that Ad'hm and his team had retrieved from their missions. She clearly remembered a few of the pages that mentioned the uselessness of the unblessed and how women were kept to breed with only the most powerful Wielders. If out of context, and she was sure this was the case, it would make their case too strong to refute. Power seeking high blood Wielders would take this opportunity and run with it. Especially Councilman Ameral. Araya knew his hatred for her and his beliefs on women in powerful positions. Do doubt he would use this to try to remove her from the position of Imperial Advisor and potentially secure his place as next Emperor.

Today proved to be more of a headache than she hoped for.