Book 4: Chapter 47 - Power Plays (RAW)

The advice of the ancestor spirits is like the wind. Abstract, yet they shape the mountains. Their wisdom may seem to be clouded, but their purpose is always clear.

- The Book of Wise Tellings from the Land of Streams.

The air hung heavy with the weight of Yousef’s brazen treachery. The room reeled from the seneschal’s open confession, and sown with it was the potential seed of division. I could see the glances from those I summarily judged to be of questionable loyalties, their eyes shifting nervously toward the exit. No doubt, they feared they might be next to be named.

"Gilgamesh of Uruk, it is time you fulfilled your promise to me," declared Lady Aelayah, her voice cold and distant. "As you well know, I do not need a knight in armor. I need someone to rid me of a traitor to this House."

I sighed, understanding the unspoken command for what it was. The powerful rarely gave direct orders. They commanded through mere suggestion, no matter how bare-faced. A flicker of annoyance surfaced, quickly replaced by a quiet, eager excitement. Time to reap some free experience.

I removed my helm and hooked it to my belt. I wanted Yousef to see my face. A strange exhibitionist streak flared within me, a desire for everyone to witness what was about to unfold.

Yousef stood tall, his expression calm, his back straight. There was an almost pitying look in his eyes, like that of a martyr resigned to his fate.

"Misguided fool, I did what I did for the…" he began, his voice faltering.

"Shush now," I interrupted, dismissing him without a second thought. "The reasons of the old and infirm are as varied as the leaves in the forest."

I approached him, my war hammer resting on my pauldron, eager to be used. 

His face twisted with indignation, an expression I had seen many times in my old world—elderly men faced with the harsh reality of a society that no longer cared for their views.

With swift, finality, my hammer descended like a judge’s gavel, smashing his features into an unrecognizable mess. As the hammer claimed his life, I felt as it purred almost in satisfaction.

You have slain a human 10 experience gained.

Kneeling, I wiped the blood and viscera from my weapon. It was time for my declaration of loyalty, though only for as long as it served my ends.

I cast Decay on the corpse, the words of the spell echoing in my mind even as I voiced my challenge, "Is there anyone else?"

A simple question, but filled with the elegant power of the moment. A deadly piece of theatre. Yousef’s corpse bubbled with rot and released a stench that no amount of pure water flowing could cleanly wash. Under the eyes of all those present it sagged and slowly turned to a fine grey dust as the weight and hunger of the years took everything from it.

Silence answered me. Aelayah nodded, her lips curling faintly, a thin line of approval. My work pleased her. She had strengthened her position with a single stroke. However, a great deal of her power now rested not in the strength of her command, but in the strength of my arm.

I had to give her credit, she looked completely unperturbed by my display of power.

“If no one else wishes to confess,” she said, her voice carrying the sharpness of freshly honed steel, “I will assume your loyalty to House Salahaem is unwavering. The other seven Holder Houses and the Council move against us. We must be prepared.” She cast her gaze across the room, eyes as cold as the desert night. “Go about your duties. See to it that our House stands ready.”

The room stirred, the notables retreating like beaten dogs, eager to escape the weight of her command. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if savoring the power she held over them, or perhaps simply seeking respite from the burden of it.

“Farzan,” she breathed, her eyes opening once more.

The captain stepped forward, rigid as a sword unsheathed. “Yes, Lady Aelayah.”

“Prepare to wake the Sleepers.”

An odd command—considering I was certain that the once-mighty House Salahaem, in their recent decline, had no Sleepers left. Farzan bowed, deep and solemn.

“And see to Yousef’s family,” Aelayah continued, her voice low now, weariness creeping in like an old friend. “Corruption must be torn out by its roots. Summon Caspian—I want him here with a full dragon of men within the hour. If he dares dither, remind him of his obligations.”

Farzan’s bow deepened. “As you command, my lady.”

She turned to me then, her eyes narrowing as she regarded me, though I towered over her. Still, she had that look about her, that noble disdain, as though she were looking down at me from a great height. “Gilgamesh, attend me.”

I shrugged, the metal of my armor scraping with the motion. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I nodded, stepping forward to her side.

*****

Tea, that essential mark of civilization separating us from the barbarian hordes beyond the walls, was served. The servants, as graceful as dancers, moved around us, setting the table with light refreshments and pouring the fragrant beverage from teapots and into cups so fine they could each have been a revered piece of art in a museum. 

I raised the delicate cup to my lips, tasting it. It was far too weak for my liking, but I drank it anyway.

Lady Aelayah, usually lounging in her opulence, sat upright, her posture stiff and serious, a stark contrast to her usual relaxed demeanor.

She looked at me directly, her expression demanding. "I want explanations."

"I…"

"Without prevarication or deception. I need to know the forces under my command," she insisted, throwing me off balance.

I inwardly cursed her relentless questioning. “Not even a word of thanks to the man who parried the promise of death aimed at your throat?”

Ignoring me, she pressed on. "What is the magic you command?"

"It’s a gift from the gods. Specifically, the Goddess Avaria," I answered bluntly. It seemed that the time for games had passed.

"You wield a sliver of Divine power?" Though she masked it well, there was a hint of awe in her voice. "That’s the domain of the Great Temples, fiercely guarded."

"I am her chosen on this world. Some would call me her Herald," I answered offhandedly.

"Had I not witnessed you heal the Elwin fellow, I’d have dismissed it as the claim of a madman. But what about the other things I saw? You burned two score men like a Pyromancer, and what you did to Yousef…"

"At your command," I reminded her.

"Yes, at my command," she admitted, her tone testy and sharp. It was rare for someone like her to admit anything so easily. "What was that?"

"The source is the same," I said, the half-truth slipping out almost automatically.

"So you can heal and also summon Her fire?" she asked, incredulous. "What’s stopping you from burning down anyone you wish? Surely you could call down Her judgment on anyone. What held you back?" she continued to dig.

I borrowed a phrase from my associate, Vincenzio. "A magister’s secrets are his own. There’s no obligation to reveal the steps of one’s path."

Her eyes flashed with anger, but she quickly hid the emotion. She set her cup down, barely touched, and moved closer to me, her posture relaxing slightly.

"I need to know. The fate of my House and Al-Lazar hangs in the balance," she said, placing a delicate hand on my armored thigh. “We can not have the sea locked to us and deal only in the Dust. Al-Lazar can not be ruled by the Council set in their ways. I must be the Sultana as in times of old… is is the only way. You understand this don’t you? And… I am not a believer… what magic you wield is, of course, yours and yours alone,” she purred, her voice a sultry whisper. “But…”

Her perfume, stronger now than even the scent of the tea, filled my senses. Despite myself, I felt a part of me waver. A foolish, prideful part that wanted to tell her everything, to boast of my glories.

"You misunderstand the nature of the Divine. I follow the will of the Goddess. Her judgments are not mine to make. I am merely her instrument," I replied, my throat dry.

Aelayah stared at me with her strange eyes, and in their unsettling ugliness, I found the strength to resist. It was enough to break the dangerous spell she cast, the kind of magic women have wielded since time immemorial.

Aelayah placed a finger on her lips as she mused. “Many of the people of Al-Lazar do not place great stock in gods, and those that do have a… very transactional relationship. Still if what you say is true then many may see my cause as more than just a… ” 

She did not finish that line of thought as a servant burst into the room, Larynda and Vincenzio following soon thereafter. “Lady Aelayah, Master Gilgamesh, the Adventurer’s Guild have made a declaration!”

“They kicked Gil out!” piped Larynda out of turn.

“Please,” chided a very annoyed Aelayah, flustered but their sudden entrance. “This was supposed to be a private meeting. Oh, Nur, have Amina whip you for this terrible display of impropriety,” she ordered, adjusting what little there was of her revealing choice of fashion.

“Yes, samasa. I beg forgiveness… but the Adventurer’s Guild…” the servant replied, her voice shaking.

Aelayah looked at her coldly. “Now, Nur, do not make me repeat myself. I will have the elf girl to explain.” 

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll make sure this elf girl explains everything!” Larynda said with a wide smile.

“The Guild they kicked out Gil, ‘cos he was like he well killed a bunch of members before and during the Festival. Then according to the code, he broke it because he fled from the final fight with the Alim girl, bringing disrepute on the Guild and all!” Larynda exclaimed in an overly excited voice. I could not help that when excited she reverted to her earlier speech patterns.

The servant prostrated herself on the floor before Aelayah.

“What is it now, Nur? You know I jest when I suggested that whipping,” Aelayah snapped, exasperatedly.

“This one must also inform you Lady Aelayah that Weather Watchers predict that a great storm is coming in from the Deep Desert, born from the anger of Wind Djinn. The old tribes are moving, scattering, and they say it will be the biggest storm in a thousand years. They also say that the great low tide comes early… and with that, the Mer will surely raise their armies to war once more with us… my Lady,” informed the servant girl, not looking up from where she was, her face still almost planted to the floor.

The Holder princess crossed her arms and legs. “Why, Nur, I do believe you are acquiring a gift for the dramatic.” 

“A word if one may, Lady Aelayah?” offered the Necromancer Vincenzio.

“Why of course, Magister Vincenzio,” acquiesced the strange-eyed girl with a fixed smile.

Vincenzio coughed for effect. “One does believe that Confluence is about to occur, an event where many significant events coincide at once. The eyes of the gods will be upon us… it is a crossroads of fate.”

“As you know, esteemed Magister, I am no believer in this talk of the Divine and gods,” replied Aelayah, shaking her head.

“That may be all well and good, but the Divines certainly believe in us. They are powerful entities…

She raised a hand to silence him. “Enough of that, I have heard this said many a time before. What would be the significance of this Confluence as you say it.”

“It would not take a Brother of the River to see that many things will happen during a confluence. The stars and the signs speak of this. The histories of many lands have recorded that a Confluence brings with it times of great change. Tread carefully, Lady Aelayah, would be my general advice. Still, it might be considered a good sign for the designs you no doubt have in play.

Also, and more specifically, I would like to add that by the charter of the Adventurer’s Guild, Gilgamesh is entitled to challenge the ruling by the current Guildmaster,” the corpse pale man advised.

“Then of course he’s going to challenge it, right?” Larynda said a little too enthusiastically.

“What would be the nature of the challenge, I do not want to embroil this House in the Sundry Courts,” Aelayah responded dismissively.

“A challenge is often always, that of combat. Single combat, my Lady Aelayah. Something that you know, Master Gilgamesh, possesses a certain talent for.”

The powerful woman pursed her lips. “I think this is nothing more than an obvious trap. Ever has the Adventurers’ Guild been an extension of the Council’s will. Indeed, no few of their number have sought my life just this very day. They seek to eliminate one of my…” 

“And in turn, it is an opportunity to eliminate one of the pillars that support the Council. Without their Guildmaster the Guild will be rudderless in a literal storm…”

Aelayah looked a touch away from agreeing with the pale man. “Defeating the current Master Acanthio would be no easy feat, even for Gilgamesh, that I am sure. He is of the Gold, is he not?”

“I am right here. I will defeat this Acanthio. A man’s worth is not decided by the badge he wears at his breast.” I almost spat in reply.

“Yes, the Alim girl, one is told was as puissant as any of the Gold. Still, Acanthio Laidlaw is of a fearsome reputation and a veteran of many combats,” the Necromancer cautioned. 

It felt like a goad but I did not care. A high-level kill would go some way to recompense me for the loss of experience I had suffered when I had failed to kill Kanaia in the tournament. 

“He didn’t look all that tough to me,” Larynda decided to comment with a shrug.

“You have met him, have you Larynda?” questioned Vincenzio, pointedly.

“...no, errr. Just saw his picture around the Guild,” came the half-elf’s hasty, defensive reply. Silly girl.

“I will allow it if Gilgamesh is sure he can win without a doubt,” offered the Lady Aelayah.

“There are always doubts. The strong overcome them through conviction, strength of character, sharpness of mind, or simple force of arms. I will defeat him,” I said with as much gravitas as I could muster. For my twisted enjoyment, I added, “The Goddess wills it.”

Vincenzio gave me a meaningful look. “Just so,” he agreed, coughing. “Such a declaration may also give more moral reinforcement to the Lady’s cause.”

Aelayah looked down to casually check her long, painted nails. “The people of Al-Lazar are not as god-bothering as those of the North… And earlier, made to presume my designs.”

“Apologies, my Lady Aelayah. A House in decline? I would not believe it. Age can make the knees grow weak. If I may?” he asked pointing to an empty divan. 

Lady Aelayah imperiously nodded her assent. Sitting down, he was soon awkwardly joined by Larynda a few moments later.

“The Salahaem are as prosperous as ever, they just have learned to hide it better under your auspices. I have watched over the years as you have reduced your contributions to the Council and thus lost seats in that body. Many thought that it was a sign of weakness, the loss of prestige and power a sure sign of weakness. I saw it for what it was, you were hoarding your wealth, hiding it as a hawk does their talons. For one goal, I am sure. Your father before was the only one on the Council who spoke for peace.

As for belief in the gods, a significant portion of the citizenry enjoy roots from distant lands. And, though they are not yet the majority, they have brought their beliefs with them.”

I saw now the man’s goal. He wished to twist the very belief of the gods themselves against them. It was a delicious irony that had my full support.

The Necromancer shot me another look laden with meaning.

“I will judge him in the name of the Goddess. The Necr… The Magister is correct to assume that you will need more than just a worldly mandate to rule… even if you succeed in this coup of yours. Believer or not.”