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.