a champion born

[Talon]

T A L O N

Talon did not want to believe that the Imperial Sovereign could have respect and even genuine empathy for the loss of his father. His words stung on a level that was a blow to his grieving heart. He had not even gotten the chance to mourn his father. At this point, Talon did not know if he even had the ability to. There was little sadness left. Now there was only anger at his murder. His jaw flexed in restrained emotion and he looked away from the emperor in order to compose himself. The man was right. His father had been the one thing keeping the balance of peace in Karnor. With his father gone and him not there to carry on his legacy, Karnor had descended into war and destruction. The result was self-evident; Zaichaer lay in ruins as far as he knew and while that should have brought some satisfaction, it brought only a bitter regret.

The emperor’s next statement was more of what he was expecting. It gave him something to turn to as he pushed away his anger and pain. He looked at the man intently. He could not scoff nor brush off the man’s words. The armor he wore that bound him to the emperor’s will was evidence enough that the man had plans for him. Even if he disagreed with him philosophically, Talon could not refuse him. That much he knew on a profound level, after all, it was his own hand that had been forced to do the binding. He knew its extent and its depth.

He closed his eyes and simply breathed for a moment. He opened his mind and extended his senses not into the physical realm but into the aethereal. He spread his awareness across the full expanse of where his power could touch. He passed his spirit through the bonds formed by those who called themselves his faithful and was briefly surprised at how far that spread. From the far north of Karnor to southern lands that he had never seen before. Across seas that he had never sailed and into places that seemed teeming with life he could not describe. He did not focus on any one particular area, he did not try to grasp all of it. Like when he peered through the lens of all that the Light touched, he simply rose high enough to gain a perspective on things as they appeared from a broad overview. He allowed his perception to drift.

That was when he saw them. Patches of growing darkness like rising miasmas of black smoke and mist. Some were growing, slowly but visibly in his sight. Others, he felt, were like boiling geysers ready to burst. He did not know if these were the disasters that the emperor was referring to but he could get some sense of imminent danger from them. There was a darkness growing in the world. All of this took no more than a few breaths. He exhaled and opened his eyes, the silver glowing with a soft white light.

“I am listening.” In more ways than just physical.

[Mirage]

Reaching to his right the Emperor picked up the silver book and held it loosely in one hand. His eyes looked down at the item, calculating and thoughtful before raising it up for Talon to see. For all intents and purposes, it was just a book. It gave off no feelings of magic, no divine aura, nothing which made it stand out in any way. Were it not for the bands that sealed it shut the book could have been mistaken for any novel or text found in the common libraries of the capital. Its cover did not have a title, and both the cover and pages were a silver color which showed no signs of aging.

"The inquisition holds a copy of the Imperial Mandate in their records. These texts hold thoughts, insights and interpretations of the original, which I hold now in my hands." He lowered the book and grasped it with two hands, staring down at its cover with renewed intensity, "It does not have an official title, but we call it the book of calamities. It was written before the founding of the empire itself, before the Hellmaw rampaged and the Kathar Legion came into existence. It is said this book was written by a man who was obsessed with catastrophes and disasters, and in his madness wrote down every potential calamity that might fall on the world. Reading the pages of this book requires decades of training, and interpreting the meaning behind the text is like deciphering code written in sand at high tide."

When he looked up at Talon there was a fervor behind the yellow eyes, a sharpness bordering on madness itself. When he set the book aside the intensity calmed, and the Emperor continued.

"It falls on the Emperor to interpret and relay the information contained in the pages of the book, and the results are varying degrees of success. Though it may not seem likely to you or those outside the Imperium, many disasters were averted or lessoned by the actions taken by the Emperors in the past. Now that burden has fallen to me.

"The book can only be read when certain conditions are met. Calamities come in many forms, but I have found a series of 3 incidents which will soon come to pass which will lead to a great disaster that will affect not just the Empire, but the entire continent. Come Ash, I will send you to the Solunarium where you will prevent one of these from occurring."

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[Talon]

T A L O N

Talon looked at the silver book. He had seen the emperor staring at it with the same intensity as he had on the day of the vision. The fervent glint of determination that bordered on madness in and of itself was unsettling. The fact that the book gave off nothing of significance made him wonder whether or not the whole thing was madness.

“Solunarium? I have never--” He stopped short. He had been about to say that he had never been to or barely heard of the Kingdom of Solunarium. He stopped because he realized he had heard of it. He had never traveled there but he did know of it. More specifically, he knew of the founders of that empire. Memories flashed in his mind of a battle that was beyond ancient. He stood fighting against two gods before sealing them away in a mountain of doom that burned with the intensity of their rage and anger.

“What are these signs you speak of? What calamity am I to prevent from occurring?” What was waiting for him in the desert kingdom of Ecith?

He realized with a sense of deep yearning that the lands of Ecith called to him in a way that surprised him. In his thoughts, a single name rose among the tide of memories that threatened to cloud his thinking.

Raxen. The Orkhan demigod who had trained him to some degree those many seasons ago. Solunarium was not the homeland of Raxen but it was on the way. Perhaps the two of them might meet once again. That thought…it made his chest tighten but he pushed such thoughts away.

“The southern continent is home to three powerful demigods. Beings who have done battle with the armies of the Imperium, if I recall. Is this threat so great that they cannot be trusted to face it? Why me?” Talon did not fear evils that crept up from dark places. He had faced the terrors of the Warrens on more than once occasion. While he recognized that not every danger was the same, he wanted to know what he was getting into. They were valid questions. He had crossed blades with Raxen. He had not won. He had been soundly defeated in battle and had only passed the demigod’s trial because he had chosen to approach it from a different angle. He could scarcely imagine that there was a threat so great that Raxen and his counterparts could not face it.

[Mirage]

"You think it so easy to garner aid from one of your kin?" The Emperor chuckled, "Perhaps to you it seems an obvious answer, but then we circle back to our previous discussion. Let us say that it has been attempted in the past, and aid was denied."

He paused before continuing, "You are chosen as a new path. Where it is impossible for mortals to tread, you may walk freely. If you believe you can elicit their cooperation in your task, then I encourage you to do so." Despite his words his expression was doubtful.

Weariness showed on the man's expression, the weight of office and authority too heavy for any one man, mortal or god, to bear. Though his back remained erect, his eyes showed the exhaustion of many sleepless nights. From his breast pocket, he pulled a small leaf of paper, unfolding it carefully and glancing over it at Talon before he began to read.

"In the lands of realms divide a conflict kicks the dragon's tail. The sun's light dips toward the horizon as silver chains drag it from the heavens toward a cage of stone. Purity is lost when the marks of the divine are stolen by the mixing tides of change."

Looking up from the paper the Emperor smiled, "Clarity is not one of the foundations of prophecy, or so I have come to believe. This passage was deciphered last Ash, and from it we gleaned two things." He held up one finger, "The realms divide is a reference to the Solunarium." A second finger joined the first, "And the calamity has something to do with the royal family, Sol’Aværys."

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[Talon]

T A L O N

Listening to the emperor’s words he was not sure what to make of them. Prophecy was never clear. That much was certain but he was immediately drawn to several conclusions at hearing this vague one. The sun’s light dipping and being dragged to a stone cage he felt was a reference to his imprisonment. It was not lost on him that he was referred to as the Dawnking. A clear reference to the fact that Arcas had and continues to be worshiped as a sun god. Combine that with the fact that he had been kept in a stone tower and silver chains had been used to bind him, the reference was either glaringly obvious or intentionally misdirective. He tucked that away and considered the rest of what he had been told.

He knew next to nothing about Solunarium to gauge whether or not he believed that it was the place being referenced in this prophecy. He would simply have to take the emperor’s word for it. That left a few parts that he needed to figure out.

The kicking of a dragon’s tail.
What purity was the prophecy referring to?
Which marks of the divine were being implicated?
How were they being stolen?
What were the Tides of Change?

It was all a lot to take in. Did he believe any of this? The emperor had committed the resources of the entire empire to capturing him, imprisoning him, and subduing him. He was this mortal’s prisoner, a glorified one, but it was a fact that still remained unchanged. Whether he believed these ramblings was irrelevant. The emperor believed them. The emperor clearly wanted him to investigate them and discern what calamity he believed was going to be brought as a result of them, then stop it. He had no choice except to do as he was bidden. Whether something came of it or not, he would at least be free to leave Gel’Grandal. For a little while, at least.

“I do not know enough about Solunarium to truly make anything of this prophecy. There is both a considerable amount here and nothing at all.” He shook his head. He let out a low breath, his wings settling after he adjusted them.

“Speak your commandments, Emperor, that I may set to work.” He gave a slight bow at the waist.

[Mirage]

The Emperor looked into Talon's eyes, and with a nod, he stood. The cape around his shoulders swayed with the Emperor's movements, heels clicking together and arms folded firmly behind his back.

"You take on a noble task, one destined to be bathed in blood. The sacrifices made will mean lives saved and tragedies averted." He drew in a deep breath, and his voice boomed loud and powerful.

"In the name of Emperor Abelard Markus Fürsten, you are ordered to the lands of Ecith, to the Kingdom of Solunarium. There you will live discreetly among the natives, hiding all affiliations with the empire, and in doing so search for the cause and prevent a great calamity that is destined to arise there."

With a clap of his hands, the room burst to life, with men and women streaming in from hidden doors that blended perfectly with the plain stone walls and formed straight rows all the way down to the large doors.

"I grant you access to the empire's coffers, and a budget has already been set aside for your travel and expenses while in the Solunarium. In the days remaining in Searing, you will be educated in the Solunarium, its people, factions, and geography. You will be given a list of contacts who have the means to communicate with the empire from within the savage lands, and you will report back every 20 days with your progress. A detailed itinerary and written record of your command and instructions will be provided to you."

He looked to a woman at the front of the line who pulled a paper from a folder in her arms and handed it to Talon. On it was a summary of Talon's mission, a timeline of events to be carried out through the rest of the season, and the date of departure.

Clasping his hands behind his back once more the Emperor stared down at Talon, "If you have questions, direct them to Ms. Shefield. She and the people here will provide you with everything you will require. I trust you will carry out your responsibilities with ease."

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