“Now, I assume that you were banished?” Emperor Nekhasha asked. The sweat from his brow fell to the ground showing that he had been slaving away in the hot sun as the rest of the farmers had.

“Yes, I was. I was framed by a nobles son for the use of necromancy.” I replied truthfully.

“That is interesting. If you wish then we may have uses for you. Obviously, if you help us to maintain our culture and livelihood then we shall grant you a place to stay, food, and drink. All you have to do is help us with our daily lives and swear loyalty to Empire.” Emperor Nekhasha offered casually before beginning his work again.

“I don’t know… will I have to do anything bad?” I asked as I was worried that they may try and abuse me.

Nehkasha stopped his work once again and began laughing. “Boy, there is no need for you to worry. We won’t force you to do anything. Just ask Marcus and he’ll tell you that as long as you help us make sure that none of us starve then we don’t care what you do.”

“Let me think about it.” I replied.

“That’s fair. It’s a hard decision so take your time. If you don’t want to help us then we'll have someone take you to the Arkin border south of here. You may be able to make a name for yourself there.” the Emperor said as he returned to the fieldwork once more.

“Thank you for understanding.” I replied. Marcus then led me beyond the first set of fields to where the mountain was. Although I say that it is a mountain, one could refer to it more as a quarry. The mountain which stood in the distance had the side closest to the city mined away. That said, it was still raised above the water enough that it acted as a form of a bridge from the city to the mountain. The mountain made it difficult for anyone from the north to invade them and the swamp made it just as difficult for the east, west, and south. It made me wonder how they were defeated in the first place.

More and more fields with many animals and vegetables were uniformly kept along the path we walked. Alongside the fields were thin stone waterways carrying water to the fields. I wasn’t sure where Marcus was leading me but I assumed he had a reason. However, could I really trust him? I know he brought me here unharmed and introduced me to all these people which seemed friendly enough but that didn’t make me feel any less concerned for my situation.

“I wanted you to see this.” Marcus said as we finally reached a point where we could finally see what laid in the quarried area of the mountain.

“What is this?” I asked in shock at the sight before me. Thousands upon thousands of graves that stood no more than a foot apart. All of which looked no older than a hundred years. Some of which couldn’t be afforded a stone so a rotting piece of wood took its place. A spring stood on the far end of the cemetery at the wall of the mountain which sent water down the waterways to the fields and to the city below. Whatever water didn’t flow down the waterways overflowed out of the spring and into a canal that spread around the city like a moat and into the lakefront bordering the swamp.

“This is where those who were killed by Alsenia and many other countries during the attack on the Empire have come to rest. For some reason which I can’t understand the people who are the remnants of the Empire do not resent us. They welcomed me with open arms and allowed me to call myself a son of the Empire. Others have been welcomed here as well without being treated harshly.” Marcus said before reaching his hands into the waterway and taking a drink.

“For what reason did they attack the Empire? All I’ve been taught is that the Empire was some evil entity that needed to be defeated for their tyranny.” I asked.

“The Empire had conquered most of the land to both the south and north. They had control of all forms of trade between those in the west and east other than through a select few dangerous and rather expensive routes. This made them a threat to most of the minor countries like Alsenia. It also didn’t help that the Empire had a military force that was led by legendary heroes summoned through a now forbidden magic.” Marcus explained.

“So basically, they became too powerful for anyone to allow them to continue. Even if they weren’t technically a threat to the individual country.” I said, giving my thoughts based on what he said.

“Correct. The Empire had no desire to spread east or west because they only wanted to extend their trade routes down the river south and to aid their sister nation to the north that had been stricken by poverty due to the constant snowfall. All in all, they used most of the funds from their trades south to fund their trading to the north.” Marcus explained.

“Are you referring to the nation of Jesab? I heard that it has been under the control of Paslone since the Empire fell.” I added.

“It is, and it is far worse off than the Empire is.” Marcus replied with a sigh.

I didn’t have much else to offer to this conversation. It really didn’t matter to my decision on whether it was worth it to become a son of the Empire as Marcus called it. That said, would it be bad for me to accept the hand that fate has given me? Surely not. However, I wanted t know more about what they wanted me to do with my knowledge of runes.

“Marcus, before I make my decision I want to know something.” I said.

“Of course. Ask away.” Marcus replied with a shrug.

“What exactly do they want me to do with my knowledge of runes?” I asked.

“That’s a fair question. You know how I said that the Labyrinth extends far below the ground. Well, back when the Empire was being attacked some of the mages in the lower levels decided to place trap runes all over the place. Thankfully, the attacking force never tried to go beyond the first two levels but all of the mages died down there along with all of the inhabitants due to the attacking force poisoning the water that ran below the second level. We can’t get down there because of the traps anymore.” Marcus explained.

“So they want me to remove the traps so that they can reach those lower levels. What exactly is down there that they want?” I asked with a curious tone as I rubbed my chin.

“Knowledge. One of the levels contains the grand Imperial library that is filled with unknown knowledge that may be lost to this generation completely. If we have that then we may be able to restore this Empire.” Marcus said with an honest look.

“Makes sense. After the Empire was destroyed every mage that was captured ended up being executed to prevent them from rising up again.” I replied as I continued to think.

“So have you come up with an answer?” Marcus asked.

“Yes, I’ll help them. Plus, the chance to learn magic that no one else does sounds interesting to me.” I replied with a smile.

Marcus couldn’t help but laugh at my remark. It wasn’t that it was funny or anything, he just didn’t expect me to say something like that. To be fair, it wasn’t something that I would normally say to someone. However, I felt that I should state my own interest in the knowledge below. That way they would know that I wouldn’t run off at some point.

“I guess you’re one of us then. I didn’t really plan on trying to convince you to join us but I’m happy you are.” Marcus said before walking back towards the city entrance with me following close behind.

As soon as Marcus saw the Emperor still working in the field he called over to him. Stopping what he was doing, Emperor Nekhasha walked over to the waterway closest to the field and began washing his face before going over to meet us. He looked even more worn out than when I spoke to him not an hour ago.

“So, what do you think?” Nekhasha asked as he wiped his brow.

“I am in awe of the city and I have decided that I would like to stay and help you.” I said confidently.

“Oh, good. That makes me happy. Dinner should be ready soon though and I am getting really tired. We can discuss your roles during dinner and you can start tomorrow.” Nekhasha said before patting my shoulder and walking off. I couldn’t help but feel like I was just ignored.

“Don’t let his lack of acknowledgment get to you. He gets like that when he’s tired and hungry. Just give him some time to relax and he’ll talk your ear off.” Marcus said before following behind the Emperor.

After that, I was forced into a public bath along with everyone else as per their customs before being able to sit down and eat. The bath actually felt nice since I had been covered in swamp muck since yesterday. After the bath, I was led with the others to a large hall that was attached to the square the fountain was in. its large stone slabbed walls were illuminated by the same oil and brush lamps that filled the city. However, there was also a large fireplace at the end of the hall where all the food had been cooked.

Long stained wood tables lined the hall with enough stools for at least five hundred people. Yet only around two hundred people filled the hall. Even with the lack of people, there was a certain air about it that welcomed you as people talked about anything and everything they could think of. Once everyone had gathered the Elder used her walking stick to ring a bell in order to get everyone’s attention. As soon as everyone had quieted down she spoke.

“Today we thank the Great Spirit for our food, peace, and our new brother. The spirit has always guided us from the time before remembrance. As such, we pay our respects and give thanks for this blessing of a day.” the Elder said in a way that echoed through the hall. It was as if she was speaking to no one and everyone at once.

As soon as she finished speaking she rang the bell once more and everyone got up from their places and walked towards the fireplace where they grabbed a bowl. Voices filled the hall once more as they picked up where they left off in their conversations. The Elder filled up their bowls with a stew made from dark meat that probably came from a Ragest, eggs, vegetables, and various spices. Once handed their soup they grabbed a bread roll from a large basket woven from dried swamp reeds.

When I walked up to the Elder she filled up my bowl. With a thankful nod, I started to walk towards the bread basket like the others before me. However, she grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks. Before I could say anything she touched my forehead with her index finger on her free hand.

“Rakhosha nor savo, less hav naho.” she whispered in a tongue I did not understand. With a smile, she let go of me and gave a slight bow.

“What does that mean?” I asked with a confused but interested look.

“Great Spirit who guides, blessings upon you. It is the only phrase from our ancestral language that we have remembered. All the tomes which have copies of our language have been lost below us. Now it is just a way for us to say welcome and goodbye.” she said with a solemn smile that she kept up as I walked away.

The rest of the meal was amazing as the array of spices made all of the food basically melt in my mouth. Each tender bite of meat was juicy and tender as I chewed through it. After seeing some of the others pull apart their bread and drop it in the soup, I did the same. The bread was sweet and allowed for the other spices which were more salty and tangy to be more powerful. It was like eating heaven. Either that, or it was because I was too afraid to eat anything yesterday and I slept most of today. I didn’t care though, it was great.

While we ate, one of the younger women who had short dark hair and skin nearly as tan as the Elder, stood up near the fireplace. She was dressed in a cloth dress that exposed her petite physique. She was barefoot just like the Elder which didn’t make sense considering that her feet were barely calloused. Everyone had their eyes on her as they ate as if expecting something. Then she began to sing with a soft melodious voice unlike any I had ever heard.

As she sang other instruments quickly joined in. The song spoke of great heroes of the past while drums, strings, and flutes danced along with her song. Her tune started off soft and slow but soon turned into that of a war song. Despite the threatening nature of it, people were singing along. Once everyone had finished their meal the song turned to that of a jaunty folk song where the girl was lifted up on one of the tables and everyone began beating on the table to the beat of the song. It was a truly wonderful song that lasted nearly an hour. As soon as it was over though the woman sat down next to the Emperor and she enjoyed her own bowl of stew with a smile on her face. While she ate someone else brought out alcohol, which most cheered even louder for.

“A lively place isn’t it?” Marcus asked me as he handed me a mug of ale and then began drinking his own.

“It is. What song was that? It was beautiful.” I asked before drinking the ale I was given.

“It’s their history. Every generation adds a new verse and sometimes new instruments get added. It’s an amazing part of their culture. Remembering your history through song is quite an amazing feat.” Marcus explained with his own input.

“It truly is,” I said with a sigh.