MASHIRO’S WORDS STRUCK TRISTAN NEARLY SPEECHLESS. He quickly looked at Tyranny and Wigg and saw that they were as amazed as he.
Surely Mashiro can’t mean what he just said! Tristan thought. The Tome and the two Scrolls of the Ancients are priceless artifacts of the craft! How could he possibly suggest that they be destroyed? And what could Mashiro mean by “dismantling the craft”?
Still unable to believe, Tristan stared incredulously at eachInkai member. The resolute expressions on their faces said that they were firmly committed to Mashiro’s bizarre announcement.
Tristan glared at Mashiro. “Are you mad?” he breathed. “The Tome and the Scrolls are paramount in their importance! Hundreds of thousands of lives on both sides of the craft have been sacrificed to possess them! How could you evensuggest that they be destroyed? And what did you mean aboutdismantling the craft when you have spent aeons trying to save it?”
“There is much for you and your friends to learn, Jin’Sai, ” Mashiro answered calmly. “This decision was not reached lightly, I assure you. But to save the craft we must first eliminate some of its more advanced disciplines. Even then, we can do so only after Rustannica has been defeated and the world reunited under your rule. For the moment, let us not discuss our far-ranging plans for the craft. Instead, allow us to tell you about Rustannica, Shashida, and how we came to become embroiled in this terrible struggle. I will start by explaining the Rustannican government and culture.”
For the next hour Mashiro described the dangerous nation lying to the north. He explained the Rustannican government workings in detail, including the roles of thePon Q’tar, the emperor and empress, the Priory of Virtue and the Femiculi, and the many tribunes who together constituted the voting body called the Suffragat. He then went on to describe the workings of the horrific Rustannican war machine with its legions, armada, and Blood Stalkers. Giving a detailed description of the Rustannican social order, he explained the differences among the krithians, hematites, phrygians, and skeens. The grotesque role of Rustannica’s many coliseums was then outlined, as was her dwindling gold supply and resulting economic emergency. Finally he told them of Vespasian’s new campaign to take the Shashidan gold mines.
When Mashiro finished, Wigg, Tristan, and Tyranny sat for a time in silent astonishment. After casting an incredulous look at his fellow Conclave members, Tristan looked back at Mashiro.
“I beg the Afterlife,” he breathed. “It sounds monstrous. Are the Rustannicans truly that barbaric?”
Mashiro nodded. “Interestingly, they callus the barbarians,” he replied. “Rustannica is a victim of her own excesses. Although many laws exist, morality does not figure prominently in their writing or enforcement. Instead, all the laws are skewed in favor of those possessing endowed, left-leaning blood. Unless one is a member of the krithian class or of the Suffragat, his or her life belongs to the state. But to fully understand Rustannica there is much more that you need to learn.”
After taking another sip of umake, Mashiro placed his hands flat on the table. “Things in Rustannica are far from what they seem,” he said. “Only thePon Q’tar and one other member of the Rustannican government know the whole truth. Everyone else-including Vespasian and Persephone-wrongly believes that the Vagaries are empowered by an eternal flame. This imaginative lie serves thePon Q’tar ’s needs well. Ever since thePon Q’tar clerics banded together and convinced other mystics of left-leaning blood to follow them and break away from Shashida to form their own nation, they have told the Rustannican people that the Vagaries and Vigors are empowered by two opposing, magical azure flames. To add credibility to their lie, thePon Q’tar clerics spun another falsehood, claiming that in a courageous act of heroism they stole the Vagaries flame from us barbaric Vigors worshippers. It was then supposedly brought to Rustannica, where it could be forever nurtured and protected from Shashidan tampering in our never-ending quest to destroy the Vagaries.”
Pausing for a moment, Mashiro took another sip of the heady umake. “To add weight to their lie, they gave the flame a physical presence, then built a magnificent Rotunda in which to house it and to provide living quarters for the Priory Sisters,” he added. “It is the Sisters’ task to ‘watch over the flame and ensure its life so that the Vagaries shall never perish.’ As you can imagine, the populace sees the Priory Sisters as immensely important to protecting the craft and their continued way of life. In truth, the flame that the sisters protect is a sham that even they believe. It is the role of the reigning Femiculi to reenergize the flame on each coming of the new moon. But the enchantment taught to her by thePon Q’tar to perform this ‘miracle of the craft’ does nothing but ensure that the useless flame burns for another month. Except for helping to convince the populace of thePon Q’tar ’s great hoax, the flame serves no purpose whatsoever.”
“Why did thePon Q’tar weave such an elaborate lie?” Wigg asked. “Why not simply tell their citizens the truth?”
“Rustannica is rife with secrets and lies,” Hoshi answered. “As you already know, we believe that one side of the craft cannot exist without the other. ThePon Q’tar created the myth of the flame to disguise various truths about the craft, such as the Orbs of the Vigors and Vagaries. Because the two orbs remain trapped on the world’s other side, their existences can be easily refuted. Like the Sorceresses of the Coven, thePon Q’tar ’s use of the Vagaries has blinded them to the truth. They are aware of the theory that each side of the craft needs the other, but like Failee and her followers, they refuse to believe it. They hope that with Vespasian’s coming they can use his immensely powerful blood to finally smash Shashida and destroy all the Vigors practitioners west of the Tolenkas. Because the Orb of the Vigors is safe from their reach, the Vigors would continue to exist-at least in theory. But with no one of right-leaning blood left on our side of the world to employ the Vigors, here that side of the craft would be as good as extinct. That’s another reason why thePon Q’tar and the Heretics have done all they could to help destroy Vigors practitioners and the Vigors Orb on your side of the world. With those deeds done, much of their mission would be finished. But what they refuse to believe is that should their ultimate goals be achieved, all magic would cease to exist and the entire world would be plunged into a unique form of mayhem and darkness from which it would never emerge.”
“There is another reason why thePon Q’tar perpetuates the hoax of the eternal flame,” Midori spoke up. “Because of Rustannica’s monetary woes, an internal revolt is brewing. If the Rustannican citizens knew the whole truth about the craft and what would truly happen to the world if the Vigors were destroyed, they might rise up and demand not only a halt to the war, but that all magic practitioners again try to live in peace. Because of the great manpower needed to prosecute Vespasian’s new campaign, there are likely not enough legions left at home to quell a powerful civil uprising. Aside from aJin’Sai orJin’Saiou finally reaching Shashida, that is thePon Q’tar ’s greatest fear-especially now that their economy is on the verge of collapse and the government has launched an all-out war to seize our gold. If our mines are taken, the Rustannican war machine can continue to wreak havoc against us for aeons to come.”
Tristan sat back in his chair. He grasped everything he had just heard, but hosts of questions remained. He turned to look at Mashiro.
“If Vespasian’s advance is stopped and Rustannica can one day be brought to her knees, why would you then wish to destroy the Tome and the Scrolls of the Ancients?” Tristan asked. “And why would you ‘dismantle’ the craft? If the Vagaries disciples can be neutralized without destroying the orb that empowers their side of the craft, why would you contemplate such a thing?”
“Indeed,” Wigg added. “We mean no disrespect, but what you’re proposing suggests destroying everything we have spent our lives trying to protect.”
Renjiro folded his arms across his chest and gave Wigg and Tristan a compassionate look. “We understand your concern,” he said. “Your limited successes in better understanding and using the craft have been admirable. And from your less educated viewpoints, our suggestions must surely seem antithetical. But you must hear us out. Over the aeons, even our use of the Vigors has become a source of great concern, to say nothing of the death and destruction the Vagaries practitioners have caused. If we are to succeed in saving the craft, we must first eliminate some of its higher applications and destroy forever the tools that have allowed those applications to flourish. The craft is in desperate need of salvation, for its evolution during the last few thousand years has denigrated Vigors and Vagaries practitioners alike. Although this downward slide was started by thePon Q’tar as a way to destroy us, we were forced to adopt some of the same techniques in order to fight off their constant onslaughts. If both sides of magic and their practitioners are to eventually live in peace, the craft must become much more the way it once was.”
“Are you referring to the plan that was outlined to me by the Envoys of Crysenium?” Tristan asked. “It was their wish that I return to Crysenium and my blood signature be altered to the vertical so that it shows no bias. Then I was to try to find a rebel organization called the League of Whispers and eventually convince the Rustannicans that a peaceful solution could be found. The Envoys hoped that such a display of trust would carry much weight and perhaps lead us onto the road toward peace.”
“As did the rest of us,” Mashiro answered. “Some of those same Envoys once sat at this table, and it was in this room that their plan was approved. But the situation has changed markedly in the short time between then and now. Because of Rustannica’s rapidly spiraling financial troubles and the advent of Vespasian’s new campaign, the Suffragat members would never entertain a peace proposal now, because this campaign has simply cost them too much of their already dwindling treasury funds. The die has been cast, and for Vespasian and thePon Q’tar this is a campaign of last resort. They simply don’t have the funds to sustain their country while spending decades conducting peace negotiations. They know that we could simply wait them out as they grow progressively poorer and further unable to control their restless populace. Vespasian and thePon Q’tar would never stand for that. We believe that the only way to stop them now is by vanquishing them in the field. In fact, we have no other choice, because if they take and hold our gold supplies we will soon find our economic situations reversed. But that is not to say that every facet of the Envoys’ peace plan was without merit.”
“I still don’t understand,” Tyranny said. “If you can vanquish the Rustannicans, what need would there be to ‘dismantle’ the craft?”
“Despite the craft’s mazelike complexities, your question is perhaps best answered with two simple words,” Mashiro said.
Wigg raised an eyebrow. “And what might they be?” he asked.
Mashiro looked deeply into Wigg’s eyes. “Free will,” he said softly.
Tristan glanced at Wigg to find a look of complete surprise. Then the First Wizard’s expression morphed into one of deep thought.
“Are you all right?” Tristan asked.
His thoughts racing, Wigg stared at Tristan with unseeing eyes, then blankly looked back at Mashiro.
“I beg the Afterlife,” he breathed. “The Paragon, the forestallments, the Tome, and the Scrolls of the Ancients-they were all crutches! Everything is gradually spiraling out of control and taking craft practitioners from both sides into the abyss with it! The more advanced our craft use becomes, the more we hurt ourselves!”
Pausing for a moment, Wigg simply stared into space. “I’m right, am I not?” he breathed. “I beg the Afterlife-how could we have been so blind? We worked so hard…we always believed that what we were doing was so right…”
Tristan gave Wigg a concerned look. “What do you mean?” he asked.
“As I said, we’re talking about free will,” Mashiro answered in the wizard’s stead. “The true purpose of uniting Shashida and Rustannica goes far deeper than just ending the War of Attrition. The unification’s greater goal will be not only to return all blood signature leans to the vertical, but also to forever rid the world of forestallments. This will allow a return to free will, which, because of blood signature lean, neither side truly possesses. Despite what you might have been led to believe, blood signatures did not always show a perceptible lean one way or the other. As endowed human beings evolved, so did this trait that so strongly influences them to pursue one side of the craft or the other. The stronger the blood quality, the stronger the compulsion. If all blood signatures can be aligned to the vertical without exception, perhaps blood signature lean can be wiped out for good. And without forestallments, people will again spend lifetimes learning to use magic rather than simply having its many gifts so easily imbued into their blood, thereby ending the overuse of the craft. Because the craft’s many gifts can be so readily imbued into endowed blood by forestallment, even here in Shashida many of our endowed persons have dedicated themselves to little more than lives of outright leisure. We have not yet succumbed to the depravity of the Rustannicans, but that is not to say it couldn’t happen. Hard work and the satisfaction of the struggle needed to learn the craft the traditional way-and with it a better appreciation of its many gifts-are becoming a thing of the past. Something earned by sweat and toil is far more treasured than that which has been effortlessly given. A new, unified culture will be forced to begin again, and to live in peace for the good of the craft and all mankind despite our differences. Forestallments were first conceived by thePon Q’tar to quickly empower their mystics with powerful, destructive gifts. They believed-and rightly so-that if they could do this fast enough, their mystics and soldiers could easily crush us. They nearly succeeded.”
Amazed by what he had just heard, Tristan looked over at Renjiro. “This is what you meant earlier, isn’t it,” he asked, “when you said that if we are to succeed in saving the craft and ourselves, we must first banish some of its applications and forever destroy the tools that have allowed those applications to flourish? That also means destroying the Tome and the two Scrolls.”
“Yes,” Renjiro answered. “And all such documents and research on this side of the world as well. Here in Shashida, the Tome and two Scrolls do not carry the great importance that you place on them. To us, they are little more than children’s craft primers, and they are not needed. The Vagaries Scroll was created by thePon Q’tar and left behind on the world’s eastern side so that future generations of Vagaries practitioners might find it and put its forestallment calculations to the same use as here. Failee found the Scroll, but it came into her grasp too late to help her win the Sorceresses’ War. The next time the Scroll surfaced it was in Nicholas’ hands. Then it came to be owned by Krassus, Wulfgar, Serena, and finally you and your Conclave. Although doing so went against our better judgment, we were forced to create a Vigors Scroll and leave it behind so that it might counterbalance the Vagaries Scroll. It also came into Nicholas’ grasp but was stolen by the orphans called Marcus and Rebecca and was later given to you. The Tome and the Paragon were also created by us and left behind for the same reasons. Because we feared that the Tome might fall into the hands of Vagaries practitioners, we were forced to make its revelations purposely obscure.”
Tristan looked over at Wigg and Tyranny. Tyranny still seemed stunned, but Wigg’s expression had become resigned, accepting.
“You agree with this plan, don’t you,” Tristan said.
Wigg nodded soberly. “Now that I understand it, I do indeed,” he answered. Lacing his long fingers together and placing his hands atop the table, Wigg looked at Mashiro.
“But I suspect that there is something more to your hopes and dreams than what you have told us,” he said. “And as you told Tyranny, it might be best summed up in two words.”
Mashiro smiled. The wizard has grasped it, he thought. “And what might they be?” he asked.
“Respectful tolerance,” Wigg answered. “The concept that all Vigors and the Vagaries practitioners have done the things they did because they were compelled to do so by the nature of their blood. And that if this concept can be universally accepted and all blood signatures made the same, each side can forgive the other. Then the healing can truly begin.”
“Well said,” Kaemon spoke up from the other side of the table. “Now you understand that your many struggles east of the Tolenkas were only the beginning. The real war is here, and you have become a part of it.”
Tristan suddenly felt a distant memory tug at his mind. It was a puzzling recollection whose meaning had long eluded him. At long last he had his answer.
“Krassus…,” he said softly.
“What of Krassus?” Wigg asked.
“It happened the day I awakened to find myself a slave on one of his demonslaver ships,” Tristan answered. “Before condemning me to the galleys, Krassus ordered me tied to a chair and he beat me. I defied him, and I told him that like Nicholas, he represented nothing but evil. Until this moment, his answer mystified me.”
“What did he tell you?” Wigg asked.
Tristan thought for a moment, trying to remember the Vagaries wizard’s words.
“Evil?” Tristan quoted.“He who has yet to be trained calls meevil? Don’t you know that there are no such things as good or evil, Chosen One? There are only the Vigors and the Vagaries. Tell me, dear prince, do you really believe that Failee was ‘evil’? Or was she simply doing what she was compelled to do? Given the undeniable call of her left-leaning signature, did she truly have a choice? Don’t you see, you fool? It is the same with me. I’m not ‘evil.’ I don’t even know the meaning of the word.”
Tristan looked at Mashiro. “You speak of tolerance,” he said. “Do you mean to say that all the Vagaries practitioners-no matter how vile-should be forgiven their terrible deeds because their blood compelled them to perform them?”
Mashiro sighed. “That is a question that has plagued us ever since the discovery of blood signature lean and the terrible realization that it easily induces us into vastly opposing actions and beliefs,” he answered. “Shashidan philosophers have spent aeons trying to learn the answer to that question but to no avail. I cannot say whether the Vagaries practitioners should be forgiven any more than we should be, for what they believe are the many transgressions that we perpetrated on them. But what I do know is that it calls into question the conflicting natures of ‘good’ and ‘evil.’ Perhaps this is what Krassus was trying to tell you. Can one exist without the other? I don’t know. But like the two sides of the craft, it seems that they at least need one another, if for no other reason than to justify their existence. Perhaps the true answer will only be found if everyone’s blood signatures are altered to the vertical. With the full and lasting return of free will, if people freely choose to practice the Vagaries and to hurt and enslave others, perhaps only then might they legitimately be pronounced ‘evil,’ and rightly punished for their deeds. But until that day, all this is simply a matter of semantics. Before our dreams can come true, Vespasian must be stopped. If not, we and the Vigors that we so cherish might well perish from the earth. Should we fail, at the least Rustannica’s ability to continue this monstrous war will be prolonged, perhaps interminably so. And because we believe that if one side of the craft perishes, then so too will the other, we fight from a unique perspective and for a far different goal than do the Rustannicans. Unlike them, we do not fight to destroy the opposite side of the craft, but to save both sides.”
“How do you plan to stop Vespasian’s advance?” Tyranny asked.
“Our forces are gathering to meet them as we speak,” another femaleInkai answered. “The only reason that we haven’t engaged them yet is because we learned that a reigningJin’Sai was finally crossing the Azure Sea. With you in our midst the entire nature of the battle plan must be changed. Now that you are here, our new plan can begin in earnest-provided, of course that you agree to help us defeat Vespasian. Contrary to what you might have guessed, so far we have purposely not provided his forces with much resistance.”
“Why not?” Tristan asked.
“Because the place from which he must take our gold is unique and also the best place in which to trap his forces,” she answered. “Vespasian surely knows this, but because he needs the gold, he has no choice.”
Tristan looked across the table at theInkai whom Mashiro had introduced as Haru of the House of Eagles. She seemed younger than the other elders, with dark hair that was streaked with gray. Her sky-blue robe bore white embroidered eagles. She was an attractive woman with piercing blue eyes.
Tristan gave Haru a curious look. “Why would your choice of a battle plan depend on my participation?” he asked. “I remain untrained in the ways of the craft. The powers of my Conclave mystics do not begin to rival yours, and my Minions are but a paltry few when compared with your reputedly immense forces. We will of course do all that we can to help. But how can such less powerful souls as we possibly make any difference in this struggle?”
Renjiro leaned forward and looked directly at Tristan. “You and Vespasian possess the highest quality endowed blood in the world,” he answered. “His blood is the full equal of yours. Your crossing paths this way is earth-shattering in its importance to the craft and the world that it governs. Had you not been born when you were, Vespasian and his forces would surely defeat us. It is highly unlikely that a confluence of such amazingly powerful opposing bloodlines will ever occur again. You two have the potential to become the world’s greatest leaders and warriors-you of the Vigors and he of the Vagaries. Thanks to Gracchus’ teachings, Vespasian will soon reach his full potential. But you have not had such training, and it will be our task to ready you at last. What follows will surely be the final battle for dominance. Either we will win and both sides of the craft will flourish for the good of all mankind, or Vespasian and his forces will defeat us and the craft will cease to exist, plunging the world into never-ending darkness and chaos.”
His gaze growing sterner, Renjiro locked his dark eyes onto Tristan’s. “For you see, Jin’Sai, ” he said, “Vespasian has been carefully groomed and trained all his life by thePon Q’tar to serve only one purpose-to lead them to final victory over Shashida. We suspect that his blood holds gifts of which even he is not aware-gifts that hisPon Q’tar masters will unleash at the right moment. Vespasian believes that he is their ruler, and in some ways that is true. But he is also their puppet and their ultimate tool of war. If you agree, we will train you in the same fashion, for only you can lead us to victory against the human abomination that thePon Q’tar has produced. The result will be a battle between titans such as the world has never seen. In this way your fabled destiny will finally come to fruition.”
Shocked yet again by Renjiro’s words, for several moments Tristan sat in silence. Finally he found his voice.
“But Vespasian has had a lifetime to prepare for this struggle!” Tristan protested. “What you suggest seems impossible. How can you train me so fast?”
“By making you Vespasian’s equal,” Renjiro answered sternly.
“Buthow…?” Tristan asked.
“We must to do the very things that we have so come to dread,” Renjiro answered quietly. “Because of their supreme quality, only your blood and his are strong enough to survive what must be done to them to achieve ultimate power in the craft. Some among us consider our plan to be the ultimate abuse of the craft, but we have little choice if we are to survive.” Pausing for a moment, Renjiro gazed again into Tristan’s eyes.
“Just as thePon Q’tar did with Vespasian, we intend to imbue your blood signature with forestallments that have long been banned because they might literally mean the end of the world.”