The Helisari warrior led them to an expansive, marbled hall. Banners of the Temple hang from the white walls. Golden orbs of Light Echo floated underneath the ceiling, like hanging lanterns. White stairs,elegant and bereft of any form of railing, curved their way into the floor above them.
Yuer had been to the Temple once in his past life. It was after his bonding and because the Tewekaga personally requested his visit. The Tewekaga, then, led him to a secret structure underneath the middle tower, where the eyes of the Rezas could not follow.
Yuer turned to the Helisari warrior and said in a low voice, “I will wait for his Holiness here.”
She nodded her understanding. Before leaving, she offered, “Then please, take a seat while you wait. I will inform his Holiness.”
Yuer and Sakina walked to a corner of the hall where a table and several chairs were arranged. They seated themselves and waited.
Yuer used the opportunity to lean his head against the chair and think. This year was year 1552 of the Solis calendar. Jarak ascended the throne in 1559. In the seven years in-between, he built an intricate network of capable subordinates, mostly young men and women of common blood as well as ill-favored immigrants, Dasrari and even Shefrin. He established an alliance with the Aknar, an underground order of Echo Listeners. Naer Ayaseen had all the credit for facilitating this association. The Aknar and Naer went on to help Jarak achieve many things including the framing of both of his brothers, Sinrad and Ivak. The former he framed for treason and the latter for rebellion.
He also turned his third brother, Mayir, and his strong maternal clan, the Feimari, against each other. The conflict ended with the suicide of Mayir’s concubine mother and her clan’s subsequent extermination. At that stage, Mayir went mad. So, Jarak had him sent off to the Reniqia Isles for ‘recuperation’. In the summer of the year 1558, he started to feed his father slow-acting poison. The old Rezas died five months later.
As for the collapse of the Zaradate Temple, Jarak had the Tewekaga send to the netherworld by the hands of his most favored disciple, Tamine Nakari. Jarak had recruited the young man long before he entered the Temple. He had him infiltrate the middle tower and steadily win over the trust of the Tewekaga so that he could know his every move. At that point, the Temple was barely hanging on to its authority. The Helisari were the least in numbers they had ever been and they couldn’t afford a direct military confrontation with the much more numerous Reznali arms.
However, once an already weakened eagle lost its head, the talons and the wings would naturally follow. Chaos entered the ranks of the Kumatani and many of them defected to the Malhada out of desire for survival. The Helisari held on until the end but most of them were ultimately slaughtered by Reznali arms during the bloody civil clash that took place in the winter of 1558. By the time the new year of 1559 rolled in, Jarak was officially crowned the new Rezas of the Semani Empire. A month later, Yuer died on the hunting gardens of the palace. Prior to his death by few days, Yuer remembered that Sinrad and Ivak were still jailed at that point. Mayir was a banished madman. The Tewekaga was long dead. Naer Ayaseen was appointed the new Kejan and the Ayaseen clan rose from a middle-tier Dasrari clan to a prominent ally of the young Rezas.
Yuer was lost in his thoughts when a gentle, deliberate clearing of throat returned him back to his currently reality.
The Tewekaga stood a few paces away from him. The elderly man wore heavy white robes that dwarfed his aging and thin figure. The hems and the cuffs were trimmed in intricate, gold-colored threads. A golden sash was wrapped around his meager waist, keeping the robes from falling apart. A moon-shaped headdress, the color of gold, sat atop his white-grey hair. His failing, kind-looking eyes creased at the corners in genuine delight at seeing Yuer.
Yuer looked at this elderly man and one thought kept bouncing within the walls of his mind. Old man, you cannot die yet. This time around, you and I have a pact yet to sign.
The boy rose from his seat and returned the Tewekaga’s welcoming smile with a generous lift of his lips. He then offered the elderly man a respectful bow. Sakina, who remained at Yuer’s side like a shadow, fell to her knees and performed a kowtow.
The Tewekaga struggled to gather his robes as he took rushed steps toward Yuer. The joy on his wrinkled face seemed unabashed and genuine.
“How could it be? For the Mahatir’s twice-blessed child to bow down to a mere, old and feeble Listener?”
The elderly man then proceeded to get down to one knee. Yuer stopped him by taking his thin hands into his own and pulling him up.
The boy gently shook his head and said, “How can one ever refer to your scared self as simple and feeble? Your Holiness is the most enlightened and learned man in the entire Empire. Even if I were to live through several lifetimes, I wouldn’t amount to half the person you are.”
The Tewekaga let out a strained and self-conscious laugh.
“Yes, I might be somewhat knowledgeable for I lived for many years. However, no amount of knowledge could ever measure up to the holy All Mother’s favor. She had chosen you out of so many to bear her rarest of blessings. How can I ever rival such fortune?”
Yuer looked into the elderly man’s tired-looking green eyes and struggled not to burst into laughter like some unhinged maniac. A fortune? Yes, indeed it is. A true treasure in the same way a noose of gold around a hanged man’s neck is. Ignorance is truly blissful, old man.
Yuer painted a genial smile across his lips and softly patted the elderly man’s hand, “there is blessing in unblessedness, your Holiness. It is always in our nature as mortal beings to yearn for what we do not have and it is also in our nature to overlook the blessing in what we do have. The holy All Mother takes as much she gives.”
The Tewekaga looked pleasantly surprised at Yuer’s words. His previously tired eyes glinted with a hint of admiration, “so young and yet so wise. It is truly the good fortune of Naer Ayaseen to have gifted the Empire with such an outstanding young man.”
A spontaneous chuckle actually escaped Yuer’s mouth at the Tewekaga’s words and the latter’s face beamed in pleasure. Old man, you truly do tell the best of jokes.
“I came to your Holiness to inquire after your health. After all, we haven’t seen each other since my coming of age ceremony some months ago. I also wish to converse a bit with your esteemed self.”
“Of course, of course. We can send for some refreshments to--”
Yuer leaned closer to the elderly man and slightly squeezed his hands, which were still in his own, “I meant privately, your Holiness.”
The Tewekaga must have seen something in Yuer’s eyes because the open delight on his face morphed into a quieter and more restrained version of itself, “I see. Then, let us head to a quieter and less intimidating place, my twice-blessed child.”
Yuer nodded, “lead the way, your Holiness.”
The Tewekaga turned to the Helisari woman in the hall and said, “Mardenia, take the rest of the Helisari and stand guard at the entrance of the tower. I wish to speak to our blessed guest undisturbed.”
“As you command, your Holiness.”
The elderly man looked back at Yuer, his gaze stopped meaningfully at Sakina. The boy didn’t think twice before precisely stating, “Wherever I go, she follows.”
The Tewekaga nodded, “Please, follow me then.”
The head of the Mahatir’s faith led Yuer and Sakina to a corner underneath the curved stairs which would naturally lead to the second floor of the tower. He brushed his hand across the wall as if sensing for something. Then, he leaned closer. He muttered something under his breath and a slit appeared along the wall. He pushed into it with his hand and the wall parted. Another set of stairs appeared, only that this particular set would lead below ground instead of upward. Orbs of Light Echo floated close to the grey-colored walls. Their shadows flickered across the stone like a night puppet show.
The three descended down the stairs cautiously. At the bottom of the stairs, there was another door. The Tewekaga took off his headdress and aligned the moon sigil engraved on it against the door’s key hole. Instantly, the door creaked open.
A dimly lit, medium-sized study room came into Yuer’s focus. He was no stranger to this room, he had been in it before.
The Tewekaga waited until both Yuer and Sakina stepped into the room before closing the door, “Let’s take a seat.” He gestured to the one Black-wood table and several chairs within the study.
“This room is insulated in an invisible Water Echo barrier conjured by the previous Tewekaga himself. The Echo is embedded in the walls.”
He gingerly settled into one of the chairs, “So fear not. No one should be able to hear anything said within the bounds of this room.”
“How curious. The previous Tewekaga wasn’t a Light Listener?” Yuer probed as he sat down. Sakina remained standing, a step behind his chair.
“Well, traditionally a Tewekaga is supposed to be a Light Listener. After all, Light Echo was the Echo attribute that the Holy Prophetess, Zaradate, yielded herself. However, Light Listeners are not that abundant and the Tewekaga is an elected position. There are far more criteria to look for besides which Echo they yield.”
Yuer leaned further into his chair, “I take it your Holiness is not one either? Being able to part walls and whatnot.”
The Tewekaga chuckled, “No, I am not a Light Listener. The Mahatir, bless her glory, saw it fit to gift me with Earth Echo. I personally believe all attributes of the Divine Echo are equal. After all, a blessing by the holy All Mother is something to be cherished and not be selective about.”
Yuer nodded. A brief lull settled over the room before Yuer chose to cut through it with a knife, “How many of the Helisari do you have left?”
The elderly man chuckled bitterly. He rested his forehead against the palm of his slightly trembling palm. “I see. There wasn’t much point in beating around the bush anyhow.” He gazed at Yuer. His eyes appeared a shade darker under the dim lighting. “I’m actually quite astonished that you came to visit me of your own volition today and that you are breaching this very dangerous topic with me right now. Does your sire know? Does he tail you? I’m sure he does or else the Rezas wouldn’t have much need for him in his court.”
Yuer smirked, “I sneaked out. And he has no idea I’m here and he probably won't. I am after all a tender, timid and sheltered Dasrari young master who has a certain aversion to the outside world.”
The Tewekaga laughed. A dark edge clang to the otherwise jovial sound. “Yuer Ayaseen, you sure had the whole world fooled. You sure did have me fooled. Looking at you right now and remembering you back at your coming of age ceremony where you wouldn’t even meet my eyes. One would think those are two completely different people.”
Yes, you are quite right, old man. That little naive thing you had met and the me you are meeting right are indeed two completely different people.
“Have you ever heard of the venomous Lakar spider, your Holiness?”
The Tewekaga sat up in his chair. His gray eyebrows lifted in blatant interest. After all, he was a renowned man of knowledge and when men of knowledge came across something they didn’t previously know, they would become obsessively curious about it. “Surprisingly, I haven’t. Where do they live?”
“They live in an arid desert caller Lakar on the old continent of Ersa. They have an additional pair of appendages that normal spiders do not have. They use them to imitate the shape of a spiky-looking flora species, called the Yazor flower. And so, days and nights pass and the venom-filled Lakar spider is but a quiet, harmless and innocent flower to the eyes of its prey and predator alike.” Yuer bore his gaze meaningfully into the Tewekaga’s,“I admire this particular species of spiders very much, your Holiness.”
The Tewekaga grinned purposely, “Indeed. This particular spider’s survival instinct is quite admirable.”
“Indeed it is. Therefore, sometimes, there is great virtue to be found in being a Lakar spider.” Yuer didn’t hesitate to bring the conversation back to where he wanted it, “So, how many Helisari left, your Holiness?”
The elderly man noted how the boy’s tone brooked no further aversion. He sighed, “Little, far too little to keep the Temple standing. A thousand at most. Each year, the numbers dwindle further. Since the recent revolt that took place along the Masqafa Range, we lost around three to five hundred Helisari, both seasoned and young.” He paused for bit,his figure sagged against his chair as if he had aged an additional twenty summers.
“I wish I could have refused the Rezas’s decree but there was no getting out of that needle-hole. The revolt happened in Masqafa and Masqafa is a recent heathen tributary state. Its people continue to ignorantly deny the holy All Mother. I have lost count of the number of Kumatani I have sent there to spread Zaradate’s words. Not a single one of them sent back word, neither had the precious few Helisari guards we sent with them. We were hard-pressed to send armed forces of our own. Otherwise, the Reznali court would incite the people against us.”
That’s what you should have expected when you don’t enlist Shefrin and limit your troops to Echo blessed people. Yuer thought it but didn’t express it. Instead he said, “This whole Masqafa affair was precisely engineered by the Rezas to strategically cripple the Helisari. The Zaradate Temple without the Helisari is an eagle without its wings. In this sense, it becomes no different from a chicken, sitting quietly waiting for the cook’s chopper. What is the Rezas’s cause for withholding Reznali reinforcement?”
“His imperial majesty insists that there are no Reznali arms to spare. The majority of them are stationed at the Empire’s four borders, guarding against invaders, raiders and rebels alike. Half of the rest are kept at Thurul to safeguard the capital’s safety while the other half are still waging suppression war against the revolting principality of Mevada. He also deems the revolt of Masqafa a holy matter because of the deep-seated disdain the Masqafi people hold toward the Mahatir and her Prophetess. I cannot say that he is entirely wrong but the timing of this particular issue is far from coincidental.”
Yuer affirmed, “It isn’t. Even if the revolt didn’t take place is Masqafa, it would have taken place somewhere else. This whole ordeal will keep happening until the Temple is bled dry of its forces.”
Yuer touched a stray lock of his red-brown hair. He played with the fine, dark amber strand for a bit before releasing it. “I am going to say several things and you might not like them, your Holiness. In fact, some of them might offend your sensibilities. Nonetheless, I shall say them.”
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