Mythshaper

It was foolish of me to believe it all ended with Mum's reassurance. Then again, I had not yet come to realise that people with power will always want to have more, convinced that what they were up to was for the greater good. Lord Legate here was not exempt from the rule.

"If only I could take your word for it," said Legatus Remus. He stood up, bearing all the weight of authority in his words. "I hope you understand where I am coming from."

The air in the room froze as everyone stood up, as if only a single gesture away from falling into conflict.

"I do understand," Mother said, "but I'm not convinced you do. The relic isn't at all the type you have seen, Legatus, even with your rich experience. It may be something you come to regret later."

Lord Remus cast her a look. "Would not be my first."

"I hope not," Mum said, exchanging a look with Father. He nodded, hand resting on the pommel of Ouroborus. "Alright, we will allow you to inspect it for a time, but that's about it. Inspection, all under our supervision. You won't be taking the relic anywhere. You try it, and we fight you. Attempt to alter Jinn's binding to it, and we will fight you. Foolishly try to awaken any souls imprisoned within the relic, we will fight you."

"Souls?" Lord Remus asked, cocking an eyebrow, but Mum was not finished.

"It doesn't matter if you bring along the imperator or his grandfather, we will fight you. You will not get more than a look. Even if we have to turn it over to the Order of Emberleaf, we will. Am I clear?"

The Patrician Lord stared at her, as if trying to gauge her conviction to follow through with her words. "Do you loathe us so much that you would give up the very instrument that might overturn the shape of our war effort—the war that we have been fighting since our founding?"

"I do not hate you, Lord Remus, not individually, at least, nor do I loathe most of your empire," Mother said, crossing her arms. "But I do abhor the very idea upon which your empire is built, and my experience dealing with it, you must acknowledge, had not made me endear to it."

"You believe others are any different?" Remus said, shaking his head. "The leaders of Thera have had their people under their thumbs for decades, convinced them that they are the only ones stopping the sky from collapsing on them. Half of their leadership is filled with vices higher than Mount Olympus, taking wives no more than a fraction of their age, abusing their mortal populace like farm cattle, and you think our caste system is bad? At least here, people can choose the life they want to live.

"And if you think Thera is only the bad apple, you'd be surprised to know that the Kesi'r savages eat people, and I do not know if that is worse than slavery. Don't get me started on slavery. The Haz'daran tribes enslave and groom their shapers like pet animals. Only our Alberan is free of the barbaric practice."

The words that left the Legatus should have left most people silent, but not Mother.

"Surely, that gives you the right to conquer them, no?" She sneered, the loathing she felt creeping into her voice. "As you have done with Jahannas, Ra Amar, K'el Lendi, Elinum, the Sushan Archipelago..."

"Elinum is a sovereign state," the auxiliary cut in. "It is one of our allies, and the empire supports its interests wholeheartedly. And the Sushan Archipelago was plagued with rifts, so we had to take it over."

"Victoria, Inderia, Klearion, Vasher," Mum listed on.

"Now you are just stating all the allied states," snorted the auxiliary.

Mum narrowed her eyes at the olive-skinned man, her voice chilling. "I have lived half my life in Vasher," she said. "My family even ruled it for a good part of a decade during that time. I think I know the difference between an allied state and a colonised one, Sir Auxiliary. Or a subordinate one, for that matter. Mhm, your empire never seems to have any firm regulations about the terms they use."

The auxiliary's face turned red. "But Vasher faced difficulty in—"

Lord Remus raised his hand to silence him. "I think that's quite enough." He turned to my mother. "I get your point. No nation is perfect, exempt from corruption, but trust me, it could have been a lot worse."

"Oh, I have no doubt," Mum said, wetting her lips. She returned to her seat. "And Legatus, there is no nation in the world exempt from slavery, not anymore. Your empire just hides it better in its amendments."

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Lord Remus frowned. "Servitude is not the same as slavery."

"Well," Mum said, "it's good that you got rid of the manacles and regulated the use of the weaves. But don't go telling the indentured servants that nobody can take advantage of their contracts and treat them worse than a slave. I think we have both seen cases where it was no worse than what it was in Haz'darn. But we are going off topic. As much as I like to talk about what is wrong in the world, I do not think you are here to make a difference in the world, and I do have other business to attend to, despite the little importance they are to you." She paused, gazing up at the man. "So, are we clear with the proceedings?"

The Patrician's piercing blue eyes looked at her deeply. "I think you have made it clear."

"Great." Mum clapped her palms. She turned to Father, and they were about to discuss how to go about it when another knock came upon our door.

"I'll go take a look," I said, jumping to my feet before striding away.

Opening the door, I found an old facc with a trimmed grey beard and cropped white hair. Shiny plate armour draped over him, along with a crimson cape in all its glory. As I was drawn into the fascinating armour, my fractal sight was deflected from prying into its intricacies. Then I noted the beautiful golden-trimmed Emberleaf printed on his chest, and it all made sense.

While my eyes were boring into his armoury, the old man was inspecting me with a kind smile.

"So, you are the little hero I was hearing so much about coming to this town," said the old man in a boisterous voice.

His right arm rose to pat my shoulder, but instinctively I moved away, looking at him suspiciously. A young man stood behind in similar armour and branded with an Emberleaf as well, though his plate did not deflect my gaze. He was about Delric's age and already Prestigious Class.

"Good reflexes," laughed the elder, not at all offended. "Name's Gaius El Telemans, you may have heard of me. This is my squire, Dacius. We have come to meet the guardian. I guess that would be your mother."

A collection of emotions ran across my face—confusion at first, then shock and awe, finally confusion again.

"You are Sir Gaius?" I asked. "Knight Captain of Emberleaf, the protector of the Sacred Tree, Guardian of Nayanda, Titan Blade of...?"

"Yes, yes, all that and many more." The Knight interrupted. "I'll let you in on a secret, Kid. All these titles and honours are impressive and all, but do you know what my favourite one is?" I looked at him curiously. "Gaius, the Bringer of Gifts."

Saying that, he put his arm within his cape, which certainly did not hold anything, but it gave him the pretence to access his Blessed stone to bring out a jade box. He handed me the box before I could object. Then again, it was quite an honour getting a gift from Sir Gaius himself. The man might as well be a Legend, though I could not be sure.

I had met Sir Emil following the night of terror, and whilst Sir Emil is fabled and famous in his own right, the man before me was the one who trained him. And the list went on. His legend began from the days of the founding of the empire and perhaps stretched back before the ascension of the Oracle.

"Now, don't tell on anyone else about the secret," he winked at me. "It's unfortunate that I have a limited number of gifts."

His squire sighed in exasperation.

"Now that's a voice I have not heard in years." Mum's voice came from behind me as she joined us along with the others. Her face brightened at the sight of the elderly man.

"Ahh, Little Ash, look at you, all grown up."

I looked back and forth between Mum and the Knight-captain, unsure what to make of their familiarity.

"Welcome," Mum said with a firm embrace. "I was certainly hoping for someone from the Emberleaf to turn up, but I didn't think it would be your esteemed self, Master Gaius."

"We go where our lady tells us to," said Sir Gaius. His gaze shifted to the Legatus. "But now, looking at you here, I can see why I was sent."

"Well, come on in. It's better that I can finish up all my business in one sitting."

"Come on, lad." Master Gaius patted his squire. "The boy is a bit precarious. Don't you worry, we're all friends here. Ain't that right, little Rem?"

The Legatus only grunted in acknowledgement, perhaps not too favourable of the nickname. I, too, crept after them in complete befuddlement, the jade box still in my hand.

Sir Gaius gazed up at the sword on Father's hip, and began without pretence, "Pardon my rudeness, but my old ears seem to hear something about a relic."

"It's nothing out of the ordinary," Mum said. "I don't know if your lady told you. We have a daemon soul imprisoned within the blade, and as you can guess, the empire wants to pry around where they do not belong, to see if they can use it for their own purposes."

"That's not why we are here," Lord Remus said.

"Come now, Lord Remus," Mum said. "We all know why you are here."

"Well, if that blade really can capture undying souls," the older man said, "I can see their interest and worry. But you can rest assured, Little Rem. The daemon had no chance of breaking loose. My lady assured me, in Her exact words, 'The blade rests with the most worthy and capable hands that can wield it'."

"Your lady? You mean the Oracle Herself?" Despite his Fabled class, the auxiliary gasped in astonishment. And many others in the room were the same, including myself.

The old man smiled knowingly.

[The Oracle wishes that everyone leave the relic where it belongs, that is, with Jinn Ta'Shin O'Ryon. We owe Lady Ashlyn and her family more than anyone realises to make sure of it.]

The voice seemed to have broadcast not only to me, but to everyone in the room. At least their appalled gaze indicated as much. Perhaps not the old Gaius, as only the elder had a smug look on his face, which, I must admit, was very unbecoming of his ancient age.

Mum turned to me, finding me staring. "It's nothing much," she explained. "I might have undertaken a secret task from the Oracle."

Alright, that brought so many questions—questions that I could not begin to ask with all the people around me.

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