Ignite the Sun

The glittering letters swiftly disappeared from the stone pulpit, and new lines began materialising on the wall.

Surprisingly there was a lot of information being displayed – not quite as much as about the king of course, but it was still impressive considering how much more obscure and narrow was the topic.

"How long will it take to compile this into a real book?" Elira asked.

"An hour, maybe two depending on what power source is being used."

"Do it, it's not like we have something better to do anyway."

Calen nodded, took the quill from her and tapped the pulpit four times.

The text left the stone frame once more and started floating in air, but this time they didn't immediately take a form of a book, instead slowly dripping on the pulpit.

"Now we wait." Calen stretched and looked at Elira. "Should we stay or go fo somethig else? It's not like anyone uses this room, the book should be safe."

"You're probably right, but I'd still feel better if we waited here."

"Sure." He shrugged and sat on the floor. "What do you want to do while we wait?"

"I don't know." She slumped against a wall herself. "Nothing really comes to mind."

"Usually I end up telling you stories from my past when we wait for something, but I'm afraid I'm out of important people in my life." Calen chuckled. "Do you have any interesting stories?"

"No, but I can tell you what I've learned so far about that artifact...?"

"Sure, but I was under the impression you didn't learn much."

"Well, I didn't – but I've read a lot about Aurelian to try and piece something together about it."

"So, what did you learn about the last monarch of the Sun Kingdom?"

"Like all the rulers before him he came from the House of the Sunbringer, a line coming all the way from the first Flamebearer if the legends are to be believed."

"Well the legendary version of events more or less matches with the one chronicled by scholars, so there's no real reason to disbelieve it."

"Maybe not, but considering how much of earlier history the Kingdom scrubbed from existence I think it's reasonable to doubt them." Elira shrugged. "Anyway, Aurelian was especially proud of his connection to the Sun God, and was the first monarch in three generations to wear the golden mask at all times."

"I don't understand that part, they already have to wear it in public, why put it on even when you're alone? That thing looks so heavy."

Elira raised an eyebrow.

"You've seen it in person?"

"Yeah, when we went to the festival in the capital – sir Vandrel got us pretty close to the balcony where the king appeared, the mask is pretty much the only thing I remember from that day."

"What's even the point of showing yourself to the crowd when you're behind a mask?" Elira mused. "It could very well be someone completely different and no one would know."

"They should have just incorporated the sun into the crown instead of using the mask to carefully recreate the placement of the mark."

"I mean they could've just tattooed the sun on their forehead, they didn't have to go for a thick mask made of pure gold."

"I suppose the Sun God didn't consider the location of the mark when he placed it, otherwise he would've put it in a better place."

Elira glanced at the faintly glowing symbol on Calen's wrist.

"I wonder how the royalty would've replicated your mark if you were the first Flamebearer."

"I'd rather they didn't." Caleb snorted. "But if they had to, then probably a bracelet or something similar, at least it wouldn't be too ostentatious."

"Well if you really do save our world in the future then there's a real possibility you and your descendants will be the next royal family"

Calen was rather terrified by the prospect; he certainly wasn't fit for actually ruling a country – battling a god and a strange interdimensional corruption? He could do that. Laws and economics? That was out of his scope.

"I'd give all the responsibilities to Isa, she's smarter than me and will figure things out."

"I suppose Queens often do most of the job anyway..."

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

Calen shook his head.

"Nevermind, let's go back to Aurelian."

"Right, there are a few more notable facts about him – he's one of the few monarchs who actually dabbled In both magic and aura cultivation, which significantly extended his life. He assumed his position in the summer of 934 when he was twenty years old, and according to anonymous reports in 975 he still looked relatively young."

"He had a pretty long reign, especially considering that it was cut short by an invasion."

"It was the second longest in his family, only his grandfather beat him by mere two years."

"Who was his grandfather again...?"

"Titus the Molten."

"Was he the one that... you know...?"

"Made sculptures by pouring molten gold on homeless people? Yes, that's him."

"How come the guy called 'the Molten' ruled for so long?"

"It wasn't his epithet from the beginning, – before he started doing his horrific rituals he was called the Golden, it was only during his last two years of rule that he became a sadistic monster. It's a pity it took this long for his son to take over, but at least he got punished properly."

"One of the cases where patricide can be excused I suppose."

"Happened way too many times in the royal family if you ask me. It seems like ruling for too long can only lead to insanity – at least in humans, Lady Sylara doesn't seem to have a problem even after centuries of leading her city."

"That proclivity of humans is precisely the reason why I don't want to become a ruler."

"But you're not a human anymore, are you? And the stronger you'll get the further you'll differ from one "

She got him there, but he was still planning on avoiding any leading roles.