The Rise of the Emperor--The Seventh House Rises Up

Siurbu 2174

Eirathem was aboard his dragon, on his way to visit one of the villages near Wudui'n Rhaciu {the forest of snakes}. When he had taken power, he had explained to the sages who taught the former emperor's academy that they must learn the ways of old if they wished to remain in his employment. When the sages had returned from seeking the wisdom of the snake masters, one had approached the Emperor, saying that he had the honor of meeting Rhacmidon {head of the snake masters}, and the old mage had begged him, asking that Eirathem meet with him.

Turns ago, Eirathem had been accused of a deed he did not do. When Rhacmidon did not immediately believe him, Eirathem had left Denu'n Rhaciu{the valley of snakes} in anger, vowing never to return. He still planned to keep that vow, for the woman that had accused him of accosting her had lied. However, his temper had cooled enough that he would agree to meet with his old mentor. So this day he was traveling to the village to arrange a meeting.

He had allowed Taniva, the Munde girl who had taught his Munde to trust him, to accompany him as a reward for behaving well. As they were approaching, his dragon said in his mind, 'Myendoi {Myende men}are hiding the trees.'

'There are always myendoi {Myende men} the trees,' said Eirathem irritably back to her.

'Nae,' she said gently, 'The other trees.'

It was then, that Eirathem realized she meant the sparse trees well outside the other side of the village. 'Slow your descent,' he ordered. 'Land so mundelihtanue {my Munde girl} can hide under your wing on the side of the village.'

Then he said out loud to Taniva, "Mundilihtaneu {My Munde girl} will slide down Maestir's dragon and get under her wing when we land."

"But Maestir..." she began.

Eirathem lifted her a bit and laid one stinging smack on the back of her leg. "You will obey," he said harshly.

"Aye, Maestir," she whimpered, as she reached to what she could of her leg to rub at the sting. As soon as Eirathem could tell which way the dragon was going to land, he turned the child on his lap. Then, he calmly grew his wand into a staff. As soon as they landed, He very softly ordered, "Go!"

Taniva, sensing Maestir was very serious, immediately began to slide down the dragon to follow his orders. He calmly dismounted on the other side. The first spell flew before he had hit the ground. But Eirathem was ready. He called great clods of mud from the ground, turning them quickly into arrows and sending them flying at his attackers. Then, he called the topsoil to create a great cloud of dust, so his attackers could not see him. He then ground his staff into the ground, feeling for the vibrations of each attacker. He had great ropes of dirt come out of the ground, pulling each one down. It was over in a matter of minutes. The attackers had gotten a few spells off, but in the dust, had ended up attacking each other.

Several Myende men from the village had come running when they heard the altercation, but had wisely stayed out of Eirathem's way. They approached him now, as the dust settled. But suddenly a voice cried, "Mercy!"

When Eirathem did not answer, the cry came again, "Mercy, Casari! Mercy!"

The Emperor held up his hand, signaling the Myende men gathered to be quiet. He said loudly, "The one who wishes for my mercy will speak again so that I may find him."

"Mercy!" the cry came again.

Eirathem had again ground his staff in the ground, and had felt the vibrations from the one who spoke. He made his way through the field to one Myende boy who sat upon the ground. Dirt vines were around the boy's feet, but he sat, head bowed hands in his lap. Eirathem looked down at the boys hands. The fingers on both were obviously broken. There was no way the boy had raised his wand against him.

He tapped the dirt vines binding the boy's feet, and they fell away. "Can you stand?" he asked.

"I know not," the boy whimpered.

Eirathem changed his staff back into a wand, placing it back in the holster adorning his arm. He reached down under the boy's arms and lifted him to his feet. Only once he was sure the child could stand did he let go. "Who has done this to you?" he asked.

"Da and his brothers" said the boy softly, "Because I would not stand against you. They say I am a disgrace to Sethuhus'n {the seventh house}." Even more softly, he said sadly, "They burned my wand and my bag."

"You will be given another bag, and you can make another wand."

To the man who had walked with him, he said, "We will gather the others. This one will walk with me."

"Aye, Casari," said the man, walking away to do as he was bid.

Eirathem led the boy back to his dragon, instructing him to sit. As he was on the other side, extracting Taniva from under the dragon's wing, a healer came towards him. "There is a hurt myendelihto {Myende boy} on the other side of my dragon. Attend to him as best you can."

The man nodded, and turned to walk around the dragon. "Take hold of Maestir's belt," he said quietly to the child. Once she had obeyed, he walked back around the dragon. "You will sit with Maestir's dragon until I have completed my business here," he told her sternly.

Taniva ran and sat down next to the boy, not wishing to upset her Master this day. Eirathem asked the boy, "What is your age now?"

"Fourteen," he said softly.

"You will answer this," said the Emperor harshly. "Is the heir amongst those who fought?"

"Aye," the boy replied. "All except those too young and too old were ordered to fight. I told them it was folly to stand against you," he said with tears in his eyes, "But they listened not."

And this boy, who had spent the last turns watching the power that Eirathem used on a daily basis without a thought, would surely know. "Your house will suffer for this act," decreed Eirathem, "But if you continue to show the wisdom you have shown today, it may yet be saved."

He said nothing else to the boy before turning to approach the Myende men who were gathering the assailants. "You will separate them thus: those age fifteen and above in one group, those age thirteen and younger in another. Those age fourteen you will gather and bring to my dragon. In addition, you will look for one wearing a black band similar to mine. Him you will separate from all others."

"Aye, Casari," said one of the men.

Eirathem returned to find the healer had splinted the boy's hands. He had also washed his face, revealing that they had beaten him quite badly as well has breaking his hands.

"He will need a healing bath," said the healer shortly. "But he has nae other broken bones that I can detect. Those hands need to stay splinted for one day in order to heal completely."

"On my land," said Eirathem, "the healers have developed a potion that drains away the magic, as well as making a man unable to create young. Do you know of such a potion?"

"Aye," said the healer, "It is a combination of two. It would take me but a few candlemarks to prepare."

"I will need a great deal of it," said Eirathem coldly. "Can he see?" he asked the healer.

"Aye," said the healer, "There is some swelling, but his eyes are unharmed. I was on my way to procure a potion to heal his face. I will send one back with it."

Eirathem nodded. A short while later, the Myende men brought several boys to the dragon. "You will point out those that are elder to you," he ordered the boy.

"Only this one," he said softly, pointing to the second one in the row.

"You shall place this one with the older group," decreed Eirathem, "The rest will be thankful they reside with the younger."

It was not long before dragons came flying from The Garden. No doubt his dragon had informed some of the others. On Kaiadon's dragon, a Munde man rode behind him. As soon as they landed, he slid down and came rushing towards the Emperor.

"He begged to come," said Kaiadon apologetically.

Eirathem just shook his head and pointed towards the boy. The man approached him, and then gently lifted him to his feet, pulling him into a gentle but firm hug. "He will come home, Maestir?" he asked the Emperor.

"Aye," said Eirathem, "You may take him on the next dragon to return to Hof'n {the garden}, and keep him with you until I return."

"Aye, Maestir," said the man firmly.

"I thought you might say that," said Kaiadon dryly, pointing to where a younger rider was landing. "He was the only one I allowed to join us."

"You may send for others," said Eirathem, "When we are finished here, we will be traveling to Sethuhus'n {the seventh house} to retrieve what remains of their myendelihtoi."

"All of them?" asked Kaiadon.

"Aye," said Eirathem.

The boy looked at Eirathem worriedly from his place at the Munde man's side. Eirathem pointed the butt of his wand at him, "You can change not the judgment upon Sethuhus'n {the seventh house}. You will go with this mundo {Munde man}, and remain with him until I return."

They boy looked as if to argue for a moment. But he knew well when it would do no good to argue with the Emperor, so he merely said, "Aye, Casari," and walked with the man to where the young dragon rider was waiting to take them back to the Emperor's lands.

After he had left, a Myende man approached with the heir in tow. It was the same boy that had tried to defile his mundelihta {Munde girl} the day of the celebration. Eirathem stepped up to him, lifting his chin with his wand. "Mayhap," he said very harshly, "I should show you exactly what happens to those who dare to defile my mundelihtai {Munde girls}."

They boy looked much less cocky today, though he glared at the Emperor. "You will remain my guest," stated Eirathem, "Until such time as I decide exactly how I will remove that band that adorns your arm. However, you will watch the judgment upon Sethuhus'n {the seventh house} due to your foolishness."

He dragged the boy to his dragon and forced him to sit, sticking him to the ground. Then he turned to Kaiadon. "Arrange to have the young transported to Hof'n {the garden}. They will stay in confinement until I return. Then bring the older ones."

"Aye, Casari," said Kaiadon.

Once they had the children out of the way, Eirathem gathered the remaining men, and sat them on the ground in front of his dragon. "I wonder," he said to the head of the Seventh House, "Will you be so hard on the Munde when you share their fate? This healer has prepared a very special potion for me. You will all receive it. It will cause the magic to seep from your bodies, as well as ensuring you do not sire any others to rise against me. Afterwards, you may make your own way back to your lands, whilst I take the heir, and send my riders to gather the remaining myendelihtoi {Myende boys} upon your land. They shall remain with me until at least the next Siurbumihtu{turn of power}."

He banged his staff on the ground. "Ahns secgaehn. Sprecaehnahtne.{It is said. I have spoken.}"

The Rise of the Emperor--The First Celebration

Siurbu 2174

It was the first day of the new turn, and the Emperor had invited the elders of the Elite for a celebration. He was also planning on returning the foolish boys who had risen up against his riders to their fathers. Eirathem watched as the elders of the thirteen houses gathered in the special pavilion that had been built for the occasion. One chair was notably vacant. The boy at his side said bitterly, "I told you he would come not, Casari. We are lesser sons. We matter not."

"Then," said Eirathem so softly only the boy could hear, "You shall remain with Casari'n and grow strong in your magic."

"Aye, Casari" said the boy sadly.

"Go," said Eirathem, "Sit with your brother."

"Aye, Casari," said the child as he made his way to sit upon the bench where the remaining four who had stood against the Emperor's riders nearly a year ago were sitting quietly.

The Emperor's councilor approached him slowly. "You are looking well this morning,Casari," he said quietly. Eirathem had donned an open robe of shimmering black over his riding clothes this day, his only concession to the sensibilities of the Elite about how an Emperor should appear.

"I notice," he said in hard voice, "one Hus {house} has chosen not to attend to me."

"Aye," said the councilor, "they believe that since I am of Sheyuhus'n {The sixth house}, there is nae need for them to attend as well."

"You are my councilor," said Eirathem, "if they wish a voice for husleu {their house}, they will attend to me."

"I will inform them," said the councilor gravely. He tilted his head to where the two boys from the eighth house sat upon the bench with the others. "They will fare better with you, Casari," he said. "I fear for their treatment should you return them to their family."

"How so?" asked the Emperor.

"Their father is most grieved with the eldest," said the councilor.

"They were quite foolish to attack Fehrahndineu {my riders}," said Eirathem shortly.

"Nae, it is not that," said the councilor softly, "He is upset that his son did not continue to support the heir of Teyuhus'n {the second house} when they were captured."

Eirathem's eyebrows rose, "The boy acted with wisdom, and out of care for his brother," he said.

"Aye," said the councilor. "But since the fall of the heir, he has lost favor with Teyuhus'n {the second house}."

"And that is more important than his sons?"

"Aye, Casari," said the man gravely.

"He is a fool," said Eirathem harshly.

The councilor said nothing else, calmly walking away. Eirathem heard a child running, and turned to see Taniva, the mundelihta {Munde girl} who had taught his Munde his ways running towards him. He folded his arms and glared down at her. "And does your da know your whereabouts?" he said sternly.

The child nodded eagerly, pointing to a ways off where his head patriarch was approaching at a much calmer pace. Eirathem watched him closely. Like all his Munde, the man's health had improved greatly over the last turn. "Are my Munde prepared?" he asked.

"Aye, all is ready, Maestir," affirmed Banim.

The Emperor returned his attention to the child standing impatiently in front of him. "And are you ready to walk at Maestir's side and show these Myende how an obedient, respectful mundelihta {Munde girl} acts?"

"Aye, Maestir," she said, "Bahnahfne mie mundelihta {I will be good Munde girl}."

"Ehte mion {You had better}," he said shortly. "Attend to me."

The girl ran to him, taking hold of his belt. The patriarch walked over to where the Munde were gathering, each according to the great house they had been placed in. There were some who could not attend, as there were tasks that could not be avoided, even on this day. But Eirathem had decreed that every child was to be in attendance. If work was to be done, it would be the adults who dealt with it.

The Emperor flicked his wrist, and his wand shot into his hand. With a thought, the wand grew, until it became his great staff. He banged it on the earth, grounding it until he was sure all on his lands would hear his voice. As he completed this task, the head of every Munde rose, for they knew this act well. Those not already seated hurriedly ran to their places and sat quietly. The Myende quickly followed suit. Only when the silence was complete, did Eirathem move. He forced himself to walk slowly and regally towards his great pavilion. Taniva looked at him curiously at first, but quickly set her pace to match her Maestir's.

The pavilion had one great chair at one end, resembling a throne, though it was much simpler than the thrones of the emperors before. On the right, sat two rows of chairs for the heads of the remaining twelve houses to sit. Normally, there was a Table of Judgment within the pavilion, but it had been moved out so that a bench could be provided for the boys he would judge this day. All of his Munde knew that should there be a need for discipline this day, the Emperor would be angry indeed.

For one of his goals for the day was to show the foolish Myende there was another way for the Munde to live. He had not attempted to end the rule of slavery upon the Munde, knowing such a deed would cause an immediate uprising of all the Myende, but he had changed the way the Munde on his lands lived. Each and every patriarch understood Eirathem's goals for this day, and they were watching their charges closely.

Once he entered the pavilion, he turned and faced the Elite. "From this day forth," he said, "Mona {the first moon} shall be known as Casariu'n {the Emperor's} Respite. I will begin upon the first day of siurbu'n {the turn}, with a celebration, such as we are having today. It has come to my attention," he continued, "That you wish to reconvene your council. You may have your council, however all requests will go thru my councilor. Only upon this day may you approach me individually with such needs as you have. However," he said more sternly looking upon the one empty chair, "those who choose not to send a representative to attend me on this day shall have no voice with me for the turn."

He saw the faces of the Elite darken, but he did not care. He banged his great staff upon the ground, saying regally, "Ahns secgaehn. Sprecaehnahtne. {It is said. I have spoken.}"

Afterwards, he turned the staff back into a wand in front of the Elite, placing it back in the leather holder that adorned his arm. He turned his attention to the girl who had stood quietly at his side, clutching the now threadbare doll she had earned nearly a turn ago tightly to her. "Mundelihtaneu {my Munde girl}," he said quietly, "what is today?"

The girl chewed on her lip for a moment, and then said, "Our birthing day, Maestir."

"Aye," said Eirathem softly, "It is the day my Munde will celebrate attaining another turn. And what do you think is most important about today?"

"Toys, Maestir," she replied eagerly.

"You are quite sure toys are the most important?" he asked gravely.

"Aye, Maestir" nodded the girl.

"Then," said Eirathem softly, "we shall attend to the gifting first, shall we not?"

He turned, ignoring the Elite for a moment, and walked over to the end of the pavilion where a great number of sacks laid, full of toys for the children of his land. He pointed to a stool that he had ordered sat there, knowing full well before the event what the girl's reaction would be.

"We will begin," he said gravely, "with my older myendelihtoi {Myende boys}. All those aged ten and over will attend to me now."

The children slowly rose from their places where they sat and approached the Emperor. Eirathem motioned toward the section where the young riders sat, flanked by their stern older riders. "Fehrahndi {riders} as well," he said.

The boys rose and joined the others. Eirathem surveyed them seriously. "Can any of you," he asked, "tell me what is to occur soon?"

"Maestir is opening an Academy," said one boy eagerly.

"And what type of Academy is Maestir to open?" asked the Emperor.

"We are to learn to use our magic," said another boy softly.

"Aye," replied Eirathem, "For Hofmi'n (in the Garden}, all will use their gifts to serve me. A number of you," he continued, "have already received your bags and have begun to gather the items you need as you served Fehrahndineu {my riders}. Those of you that have may be seated."

Most of the young riders and a few of the others made their way back to their seats. An elder rider approached, with many of the bags his students would use to gather the items they needed to create their wands. As he began to place the bags over each boy's shoulder, he said, "In these bags, you will place items of interest to you. When the bag is full, you shall be ready to fashion your wand. The wand you make will contain more power than those that can be procured from wand makers, for it will be attuned more closely to your magic."

When the rider was finished, Eirathem motioned for the boys to return to their seats. Then he pulled the first bag to him and began to hand out the gifts that had been prepared. When he was finished, he stood, folding his arms and surveying the Munde seriously. "And now," he said, "that mundelihtineu {my Munde children} have received their gifts, they shall sit quietly as Maestir conducts his business."

"Aye, Maestir," said a chorus of voices.

Eirathem reached for Taniva, who stood quietly and returned to his side and grabbed hold of his belt with her free hand. She now had two dolls clutched tightly to her in the other hand. "Now that you have the new doll, shall you put the other away?" he asked as they walked slowly towards his throne.

"Nae, Maestir," she said seriously, "she wanted a friend."

The Emperor just shook his head at the logic of the child and pointed to a low stoop by his throne. The child quickly ran and sat, settling the dolls on her lap. Eirathem continued to his throne, seating himself and turning to again face the Elite. Their countenances were dark, at the gall of the Emperor who would choose dealing with his Munde over giving them his attention. "Very soon," he said, "You will be allowed to partake of the feast that has been prepared. However," he said more darkly, "first there must be judgment."

He turned his attention to the bench, where the five boys had sat quietly. All but the youngest looked apprehensively at the Emperor. "The four remaining who dared to raise their wands against my riders will attend to me now."

The boys rose, and came to stand at rigid attention in front of him in a row from eldest to youngest. He pointed to the brother of Kaiadon. The boy stepped forward, and Eirathem said, "You will tell me what you have learned."

The boy looked at him seriously, "I will never again raise sagol against Casariu'n Fehrahndi {the Emperor's Riders}," he said.

"Anything else?" asked the Emperor.

The boy blushed, looking down, "I have learned to mind, Casari" he said seriously.

"I notice," said the Emperor, "that the bag at your side is quite empty."

The boy proudly pulled out his wand, showing it to Eirathem. "And it is made of your own hands?" asked Eirathem

"Aye, Casari," said the boy proudly.

Eirathem clasped his hands in front of him. "Should you be given the opportunity to attend my new Academy, would you wish to?" he asked seriously.

The boy's eyes widened, "Oh aye, Casari, very much so," he said eagerly.

"Then you may do so if you wish. Return to your father," he said.

The boy made his way to the Elite, sitting upon the ground next to the chair of the leader of the fifth house. Eirathem questioned the other two younger boys in the same fashion, inviting both to attend his new Academy as well before sending them back to their fathers.

Finally, only the eldest remained. Eirathem motioned for the young boy remaining on the bench to join his brother. He looked upon the eldest boy seriously. "It seems," he said, "that your father alone has chosen not to retrieve his sons."

"Aye, Casari," said the boy bitterly.

"Of what age are you now?"

"Seventeen, Casari" the myendo replied.

"When a boy reaches the age of sixteen," said the Emperor, "he is considered of age, and is given duties to reflect that. Therefore, since you have proved to me you have learned from your foolishness, you may return to the lands of your birth if you wish. However, your brother, even though he is blameless, must remain until his father comes to claim him or he reaches his full stature."

"I will not leave him, Casari," said the older boy boldly.

"Then," said Eirathem softly, "You shall remain. Even though you are of age, you shall attend lessons with the other myendelihtoi {Myende boys} until I am satisfied of your ability in magic. Then, should you prove worthy, I will place you with Forsahndoneu {my head overseer}, after which you will oversee the lands of Teihusiuhus'n {the thirteenth house}."

The boy nodded gravely. All knew of course, that the former emperor had cursed the inhabitants of the thirteenth house, so that they could own no land. They were forced to serve others. Many had come to serve Eirathem, as healers and overseers. His head healer sat as the ruling member of the house.

"Go sit with Fehrahndon {head rider}," he ordered.

The boy took his brother's hand, and then turned and walked over to where the young riders sat. Eirathem turned his attention back to the Elite. "Your sons have been returned," he said. "Know this," he continued as he pointed the butt of his wand at them, "these received a great deal less than they deserved for their foolishness. Should another rise against me, I will be not so lenient."

He softened his stance, and then said, "Beginning with the next turn, I shall open the Academy I have created to the sons of Teinusi'n {the thirteen}. Should you desire your sons to attend, you will bring them to my Celebration, and they will be placed with Fehrahndi {riders} until the beginning of the term. After their first turn, they may return to you during Mona of each turn. But for this turn, only those I have invited may attend."

He paused for a moment. "Know this," he said harshly, "These boys will attest that I tolerate nae disobedience of chldren upon my land. Those who obey not find themselves dealt with quickly and completely."

"And now," he said, rising and motioning for Taniva to join him, "You may partake of the feast I have prepared, and you may approach me as you wish with any desires or needs that you have."

--

From a distance, the Emperor notice a grim faced overseer heading towards him with a mundelihta {Munde girl} tethered to his side. Alongside him walked one of the young Myende men, who had arrived with the elders of the elite he had invited. He seemed to be arguing with the overseer fiercely.

Eirathem motioned for the overseer to approach. "This one," said the man shortly as he pointed to the boy, "accuses this mundalihta {Munde girl} of attacking him. He is upset because I have not ordered her beaten."

"She kicked and bit me!" declared the myendo.

The Emperor pointed at the ground in front of him. A short distance away, several small Munde children were playing. When Eirathem forgot to turn his wand around, they cowered on the ground, and shouted, "STAFF!"

Eirathem glared at them. "Mayhap," he said as he flipped his wand around, "Maestir does not wish to use his staff." He continued to glare at them for a few more moments before saying, "Up, my mundelihti {Munde children}, Maestir has turned his wand around."

The children got up cautiously, "Go," he said harshly to them, and they ran off closer to one of the homes the Munde lived in.

"Do you always allow your Munde to dictate your actions?" asked one of the elders harshly.

Eirathem was saved from answering the question when one of the boys who had risen up against his riders said, "It is not that."

The Emperor glared at the boy, but motioned for him to continue. "If the Casari is angry, sparks shoot from his wand. Sometimes," he said quietly, "Strange things happen. If any are harmed, he gets even angrier."

Several eyebrows rose at the boy's last pronouncement. But Eirathem ignored them all for the moment, pointing at the ground in front of him with the butt of his wand. The overseer uncuffed the girl from his belt, and she scuttled over to where the Emperor was pointing. Eirathem folded his arms again, looking down at the child. "Did you kick and bite that myendo {Myende male}?" he asked levelly.

"Aye, Maestir," she said as she kept her head firmly bowed.

The Emperor reached over and tapped her chin lightly with his wand. She obediently lifted her head. Tears were streaming down her face. "Why would you do such a thing?" he asked gravely.

"H-he held me down on the ground and t-tried to lift my dress. I w-was only trying to get away."

"And how is it," asked Eirathem in a hard voice, "that you were where he could get to you?"

The girl gulped. "I was picking flowers amongst the trees," she admitted.

"I believe," said the Emperor harshly, "That I made a particular decree concerning today. Can you mayhap tell Maestir what that decree was?"

"Nae mundelihta {Munde girl} is to be out of sight of her Da or her Daehfreon," she whispered.

"Then," said Eirathem firmly, "You know that you shall be dealt with when your da is found. Which sele {house} do you reside in?"

"Fuersele {fourth house}, Maestir," she whispered.

The Emperor gave a pointed look to the overseer who nodded and walked away. "You shall attend to me until he is found," he declared, pointing to the ground beside him. The girl scuttled over to him, turning and grabbing his belt. Eirathem reached down and grabbed the cuff at the end of the tether still upon her wrist, attaching it to the ring that hung from his belt for such occasions.

Then he turned his attention to the man, who appeared to be in shock that he had not ordered her yet beaten. He said very levelly, "It may be that upon your land you may touch any munda {Munde female} any way you wish. However in Hof'n {the garden}, I have decreed that mundelihtai {Munde girls} under the age of sixteen are to be left untouched. In addition, unless I specifically say otherwise, the mundai {Munde females} upon my land are not for the carnal pleasure of my guests. If you cannot control your urges during your visits here, I will have you overseen by an overseer."

The young boy's father, the leader of the seventh house, said harshly, "You go too far! First I find you placed my son with Munde as a punishment, and now you clearly refuse to punish this mundelihta that has accosted my other son."

Eirathem looked at the man levelly. "I do believe," he said very softly, "That had your son been unwise enough to raise wand against the former Casari, you would have him nae longer, for he most certainly would have seen to his death. I merely forced him to learn to obey, and appreciate the magic that resides inside of him. I suffered the exact same punishment as a boy, and it harmed me not."

"And as for the other," he said in a much harder voice, "I will tolerate nae child to be defiled upon my land. He is nearly twice her size and I very much doubt she harmed him. If she did, he may take himself to my healers, and they shall see all his hurts are healed. Upon my land, a girl who screams and fights not when one attempts such knows she will be in a very great deal of trouble. However, she shall be dealt with, as I was quite well aware the Myende of this land hold not to my values and thus ordered all the children to remain within clear view of those that care for them. I ask not any of you to follow my ways, which are largely similar to how Munde are dealt with in Puethion'n {The Land of the Sands}. I only ask that you respect my wishes when you are on my land."

The leader of the seventh house just glared at the Emperor before taking the hand of his youngest son and storming off. The older boy sauntered after him. Eirathem looked at the remaining elders of The Thirteen, daring them to join him.

The Rise of the Emperor--Consequences

Siurbu 2173



Eirathem called for one of his overseers to bring the heir of the second house to him. Once the boy had been brought to his study and secured to a chair so the girl would fear less, Kaiadon brought the one he had dared to defile, and her child in. He led her to a corner where a comfortable chair sat. After she was seated, he took the infant from her arms and calmly walked over to the boy. The boy glared at the overseer who was holding out his arm but seemed at least wise enough to not resist as Kaiadon gently held out the infant's arm next to his. The black band around his arm opened and like a snake, wrapped itself around the child's arm. The new heir to the Second House had been born.
"It seems," said Eirathem coldly, "that you are indeed the one who defiled and harmed this myendelihta {Mynde girl}. Besae {green}," he said as he pointed towards the green rider in the room, "You shall administer the potion."

The young rider approached the boy, and with the help of the overseer, forced the potion down the boy's throat. Afterwards, Eirathem said icily, "Your judgment is thus: the potion you have imbibed shall insure you never raise wand to my riders again, as quite soon the magic residing within you shall seep from your body. In addition," he said even more darkly, "you shall never defile another, as I have ensured you shall never feel the need to mate again."

The boy glared at him. "Bring the elder of Teyuhus'n {the second house}," said Eirathem shortly.
A short while later, the man walked in apprehensively, being the first allowed to enter the Emperor's domain since he had locked his lands away. Eirathem pointed at the boy, "I return your son to you," he said shortly.
"And how is it that I have granted this honor?" asked the Myende man.
"I have found him unteachable," said Eirathem coldly. "And," he said pointing towards the corner where the Myende girl sat holding her infant close, "I retain the heir of Teyuhus'n, insuring the loyalty of those remaining."
The man strode over to the boy, slapping him hard upon the face. "You fool!"
"They have given the band to a myenda {Myende female}!" cried the boy.
Hearing this, the man whirled to face the Emperor, "How dare you!" he cried as he lifted his wand. But at the first hint of trouble Eirathem's wand had appeared in his hand, and before the man could utter a word, the wand grew into a staff. He banged it on the ground and the carpet underneath flew out from under him, encasing him within while the wand clattered uselessly to the floor.
Eirathem strode over to where the man lay trapped in the carpet, folding his arms and glaring at him. "You dare to raise wand against me!"
He reached down and picked up the man's wand, snapping it in two and throwing the pieces in a nearby bin. Turning to the green rider, he said, "This one shall suffer the same punishment as the other. And when you have completed that task, you may retrieve my councilor."
"Aye, Casari," said the green rider as he rushed off to gather more potion.
Sometime later, the councilor walked calmly into the room. He eyed the man wrapped in the carpet curiously. "There were issues?" he asked mildly.
Eirathem just glared at him. "Does this one have more offspring?" he asked coldly.
The councilor walked over to the shelves where the Book of Genealogies lay. "I assume you wish to know only of the boys?" he asked softly.
"For now," said Eirathem darkly.
He perused the book for a time. Finally, he said, "Aye, two boys, aged ten and four."
Eirathem pointed the butt of his wand at his head rider, "Retrieve them," he said shortly.
The rider squeezed the shoulder of the girl at his side softly, and left the room. Eirathem motioned to her, and she cautiously approached. He banged his staff on the ground again, and said loudly, "Daehlfreon!"
Soon a Munde man came walking quickly into the room, "You shall watch over this one until Fehrahndon {head rider} returns," he said shortly. "In addition, you shall find the Forsahndon {head overseer}, as we are to receive two myendelihtoi {Myende boys} that need to be placed."
"Aye, Maestir," said the man as he put his arm around the girl and gently lead her from the room. It took some time for Kaiadon to return with the boys. In the meantime, two other riders had entered the room, standing at the brisk attention of the riders, arms folded in a wide legged stance. They looked formidable as they stood there guarding the two inhabitants.
But eventually Kaiadon did return, with one child in his arms while the older walked at his side, clutching his hand tightly as he looked apprehensively at the Emperor. "Were there any difficulties?" asked Eirathem mildly.
"Nae," replied Kaiadon, "they saw the wisdom of releasing two of their own to spare the remainder of their house."
Eirathem nodded briskly. He motioned to the overseer who had also entered the room. He returned with two Munde men, ordering one to take the child from Kaiadon's arms. "Bring him to me," said Eirathem quietly.
The man approached. The child looked at him cautiously, tears in his eyes. As Eirathem put the brown braided band around the boy's wrist, denoting him as a myendelihto {Myende boy}, he said to the mundo, "You shall teach this one Maestir's ways, shall you not? He shall grow up to be a true myendo {Myende man}."
"Aye, Maestir," said the man calmly before walking out of the room with the crying child.

Eirathem turned to gravely face the remaining child. "You," he said sternly, "are old enough to understand a bit. You are here because both your brother and your father chose to raise their wands against me."

He picked up a pair of cuffs to bind magic and approached the boy. "Hold out your arms," he said.
When the boy did not immediately obey, Kaiadon took him by the arm and delivered two sharp smacks to his bottom. "Obey the Casari," he commanded.

The boy sniffled, looking at the Emperor with wide eyes, but immediately obeyed. Eirathem was sure the boy had not been physically disciplined before in his life, so it must have come as quite a shock. "These bands," he said as he put the cuffs on the boy, "shall prevent you from using the magic that lives inside you. However, this mundo," he continued as he pointed to the Munde man, "shall bring you to me again on the day before the new turn. Should you prove you can obey, I shall remove the bands and you may begin to learn the old ways of magic. Otherwise," he said more darkly, "the bands shall remain until you have learned to mind."

He motioned to the mundo {Munde man} and he approached the boy. "Take my hand," he commanded. The boy hesitated, but finally took the hand of the man, who led him from the room.
Eirathem turned to face the leader of the Second House, who remained bound within the carpet, though he had been struggling wildly in an attempt to reach his children. "You will find," said the Emperor very darkly, "that those who stand against me shall be crushed. Your sons are lost to you until the next Siurbumihtu {year of thirteen}. And I quite imagine the youngest shall dare not ever raise a wand against me. The eldest...we shall see."
"In a short time," continued Eirathem, "I shall invite representatives of Teinusi'n {the thirteen} to attend to me. However, your house must choose a new representative, for you, and your son shall be forever banished from my land."
He banged his staff on the ground, ending the spell causing the carpet to bind the man. "Get them on their feet," he said shortly, changing his staff back into a wand.
While the riders obeyed, Eirathem reached into his bag, withdrawing a small amount of the special dirt he used for his spells. He added a bit of water, then after the mud was made, lifted his wand. Shortly thereafter, a strand of mud began to rise and weave itself into a band. He encircled the father's wrist first. The man cried out sharply as the mud heated to burn the mark upon his wrist. Then he repeated the process with his son. "Get this filth off my land," he said coldly to his riders.

The Rise of the Emperor--The Fremdesaelihta

Siurbu 2172

Kaiadon landed his dragon softly upon the ground outside the forest of Fremon. He gathered up the child who had ridden with him. "Mayhap we will meet some distant relatives of yours," he said softly as he slid down from his dragon.

He left his staff tethered to his dragon, as he wanted to make no show of force here. He walked for a bit to the interior of the forest. "I have been told," He said a little loudly, "that should I have need of the Fremde, to come here and ask to speak to one called Tanehdon."

He waited a few moments, knowing that if there were any Fremde in the trees they would surely hear him, and soon one dropped silently to stand in front of him. "What business do you have with Taronsel {high king}?" he asked.

"This girl," said Kaiadon softly, "is part fremdasae {female Fremdesae}. We are unable to care adequately for her. In short," he said with a smile, "she would create havoc upon the new Casari's land every time she opened her little mouth to sing."

"If what you say is true, she indeed would," said the fremdo {Fremde male} with a laugh.

"I assure you, I saw her bathed myself. She is indeed part fremdasae."

The tall man regarded him for a moment, before saying, "Come this way, I will send for Taronsel."

Kaiadon followed the man to a clearing. "You may rest here," he said, "Please be respectful of the trees."

"I spent time amongst the Fremdafyr," said Kaiadon softly, "They have ensured I learned the ways of old."

The man nodded, sitting himself upon the ground and eyeing Kaiadon and the child curiously. Kaiadon mirrored his stance, setting the child upon his lap. The girl leaned into him, making it quite clear she was unsure of this new stranger.

A short while later, a very tall Fremde man, dressed in a simple tunic and leggings with a sword at his hip strode into the clearing. He had long white hair that flowed to his waist, signifying he was among the older of their race. He walked right up to Kaiadon, kneeling in front of him and surveying him gravely.

"How is it," he asked softly but quite stern, "that you have come upon this girl?"

“Casari'n {the Emperor} is reclaiming his lands and decreed their Great City of Magic must be dismantled, We found her in a building where a great many had been murdered, I am sure to prevent us from discovering their heritage. It appears," he said with distaste, "they were using them to run a brothel. But swamon {this one} hid herself away, escaping their fate."

"And you are sure you know not the culprits who committed this grave act?" demanded Tanehdon. "Or mayhap, you are protecting your kinsmen."

"Nae," said Kaiadon firmly. "The Emperor and I both have spent time among those of Puethion'n {The Land of the Sands}, and the Emperor has also lived among those in Denu'n Rhaciu {the Valley of Snakes}. We both respect the ways of old. Neither of us would condone such wanton cruelty."

Tanehdon studied him intently for a few moments before finally nodding his acceptance. He turned his attention to the child in Kaiadon's arms. "Come here, little one," he said softly.

The child leaned even further back into Kaiadon, thumb firmly in her mouth. "Stille," said Kaiadon softly, "he will harm you not. Let him look upon you."

Finally, with much coaxing, the child agreed to go to Tanehdon. He stood her in front of him, reaching down the back of her dress to pull at the skin of her back. He lifted her, and then set her down gently. "Aye, she is a fremdasae," he said with a chuckle. "No other can be lifted thus."

He picked the child up and held her close. "We will keep her safe," he promised. "It is a wonder, how she came to be amongst us. I believe," he said very softly, "there must have been a fremdasae trapped here at some point. For I cannot fathom a fremdosae {Fremdesae male} allowing their young to suffer as those you described obviously did."

"Aye," said Kaiadon. "We will keep watch out, though I imagine whomever she was, she has long since passed."

"Let us hope," said Tanehdon softly. "But keep eye out in case. And if you come across another such as she, we will gladly care for it until such time as the Fremdesae may return to us."

Kaiadon sensed this was an end to the conversation and took his leave of the man, thanking him for his help