“YOU BASTARD!”VESPASIAN SCREAMED. “HOW DARE YOU gamble with mylife ?”
The emperor’s face was red with rage and the cords in his neck tensed as though they were about to snap. Rising from his bed, Vespasian grabbed Gracchus’ robe and pulled him so close that their faces nearly touched.
“I should kill you where you stand!” he screamed. “You, and all those other scheming harpies who make up thePon Q’tar! You usedall of us-me, Lucius, Persephone-the legions, the Priory-everyone! Is there no end to your treachery?”
Given the depth of Vespasian’s rage, Gracchus knew that he would have but one chance to make his case. If he failed to convince the emperor here and now, Vespasian would likely kill him on the spot or send him home to suffer a violent death in the coliseum. At the least he would linger for all eternity in the Ellistium dungeons.
Just now he had few allies in this war tent. Vespasian was enraged, Persephone would do anything to protect her husband, and Lucius would like nothing better than to see thePon Q’tar stripped of its power. Gracchus knew that he must convince all three that his secret reasons had been just or suffer Vespasian’s wrath. Just as Gracchus had feared, his explanation of Vespasian’s special gifts had sent the emperor into a heated frenzy. If Vespasian chose to kill him, even Gracchus’ vaunted gifts in the craft couldn’t save him from the Blood Royal’s anger.
His rage taking over again, Vespasian summoned the craft, and he threw Gracchus the entire length of his private quarters. Gracchus landed hard, taking down an ornate table as he crashed to the ground. Lucius smiled broadly at the sight, and Persephone gave her husband a quick nod of support.
Gathering himself, Gracchus stiffly arose, then took a seat in an upholstered chair. He could not overpower Vespasian, so he would be forced to rely on his wits. The success or failure of his entire life’s work would be decided in the next few moments.
“You haven’t answered me, you piece of filth!” Vespasian snarled. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you here and now!”
“We clerics did what we must to ensure our eventual victory over Shashida, Your Highness,” Gracchus answered calmly. “The entirePon Q’tar was in agreement. When you were brought to us as a helpless orphan, we were astounded to learn that your blood signature held the long-sought-after Vagaries halves that would one day allow the ultimate supremacy to your blood. We had searched for such a child for aeons. In the name of Rustannica, we made the best use of your upbringing that we could. But there remains more to tell you. Should you wish to kill me after hearing me out, I cannot stop you. But if you want to live and to see Shashida vanquished once and for all, you will listen to what I have to say.”
At once Lucius stood and drew his gladius. Striding toward the cleric, he placed the point of his sword beneath Gracchus’ chin and forced it higher.
“You dare to bargain with the emperor’s life?” he demanded.
“I only wish to save him,” Gracchus answered. “Sheathe your sword, Tribune. If you kill me, he will surely die. There will be nothing that you, the empress, or anyone else will be able to do to stop it.”
“Explain yourself!” Persephone demanded. “No more tricks, cleric!”
Although Gracchus had rehearsed his speech a thousand times in his mind, for his explanation to succeed, it must be heartfelt and believable. More importantly, Vespasian must be convinced that what had been done to him was in his own best interests. But Gracchus remained confident of his chances, for although what he was about to say was not the whole truth, it was the truth nonetheless. Moreover, the emperor would have little choice but to follow Gracchus’ orders if he wished to avoid a gruesome and painful death. Taking a deep breath, Gracchus gave Vespasian a beseeching look.
“Your highness, thePon Q’tar has long awaited the terrors that you have been experiencing,” Gracchus said. “But not because we wished to see you harmed. In fact, your continued well-being is of prime importance to us. The terrors are your blood’s way of calling out to your mind, begging you to make use of the banned spells. These spells are much evolved from those that caused the unexpected rise of the Tolenka Mountains so long ago. They are the strongest forestallments ever conceived by man. Only your blood and the blood of the reigningJin’Sai can accommodate them without causing your deaths. By reaching out to your psyche, the spells are indicating that your blood is finally mature enough to employ them without harm to your person. We enchanted some memories of your darker youthful training sessions to remain hidden from your consciousness and to arise only when your blood finally came of age. This isyour time, my emperor-the era of Vespasian Augustus I. There has been none like it in the history of the world, nor is there likely to be again.”
Vespasian was still seething, but he had calmed enough to resist killing the cleric. With a wave of one hand he ordered Lucius to sheathe his gladius.
“You said that if I do not listen to you, I will die,” Vespasian demanded. “Explain yourself.”
“We granted you these spells so that one day you might summon unheard-of power and vanquish Shashida once and for all,” Gracchus answered. “That time has finally come. If you do not heed my advice, the banned forestallments in your blood will keep causing the terrors to unfold in your mind. The banned forestallments and the memories of your training sessions were planted in your psyche by me and the otherPon Q’tar clerics while you were still young. It had to be this way lest you become too powerful and perhaps choose to refuse the forestallments because their use would violate the Borderlands Treaty. Even so, far darker sessions still linger in your subconscious. Many of them were put there before you lost your youthful fear of me, such as the one during which you watched the two dogs fight to the death. If they keep surfacing, they will drive you mad, the madness soon leading to your death. In the end, they will literally tear your mind apart.”
“You toyed with my verylife!” Vespasian shouted, his rage surfacing again. “You took a great chance, did you not? How could you be sure that you would recognize the signs before the terrors killed me?”
“It was a certainty that as the terrors increased in frequency and strength, you would be taken ill,” Gracchus replied. “I must admit that you did an excellent job of keeping them a secret, for even we of thePon Q’tar did not know. Even so, they would soon have become so terrible that you would have been forced to seek out our help. So you see, the end result would have been the same.”
His thoughts racing, Vespasian started angrily pacing the tent. So much of his world had been irrevocably turned upside down that he scarcely knew what to believe. After a time he stopped pacing and looked Gracchus in the eyes.
“Is this all that I am to you?” he demanded. “Am I but some ultimate tool of the craft that you would use for your own purposes? Why didn’t you tell me about this before now?”
Despite the emperor’s anger, Gracchus realized that Vespasian was reaching out to him, begging to understand. Now is the moment, Gracchus thought. I must console him and reclaim my role as his mentor and his friend. Only then will he do what we ask of him.
Rising from his chair, Gracchus walked across the room and took Vespasian’s hands into his.
“It was for your own good that we did not tell you,” Gracchus answered. “Had you known, we believe that the temptation to use the banned spells would have been far too great for even your will to resist. Using them without our guidance could have killed you, and at the very least, might have resulted in harm to Rustannica. We need each other, Vespasian, and the time has come. You cannot resist or ignore the spells. If you wish to survive, you must activate one of them. Only then will you have attained all that the craft has to offer and cause the terrors to stop.”
The anger in Vespasian’s eyes flashed again. “What other lies have you told me?” he asked. “If I learn that you have deceived me further, your life won’t be worth a single sesterce!”
“Nothing, my liege,” Gracchus answered. “I swear it.”
“How do I end the terrors?” Vespasian asked.
“Use one of the banned forestallments and the terrors will forever vanish,” Gracchus answered. “Once one of them has been employed, your blood signature will sense it, and the spell that brings your long-repressed memories to the surface will be lifted.”
“There is no other way to break the spell aside from using one of the banned forestallments?” Persephone asked.
“No,” Gracchus answered. “Even we of thePon Q’tar cannot otherwise undo it. It was conceived this way for a reason.”
“Indeed,” Vespasian answered skeptically. “It must be done your way, or I die.”
“That is true,” Gracchus answered. “But rather than being enraged by this news, I suggest that you look upon it as the final step in the long process that will bring you supreme mastery in the craft. When it is accomplished, you will thank me, I promise you. You will be known all through history as the Rustannican emperor who finally destroyed Shashida and the Vigors.”
“How does he go about using one of these gifts?” Lucius demanded angrily. His tone said that as always, he still mistrusted the cleric’s motives.
“Vespasian must use one of the banned gifts now-this very day-so that his terrors are forever put to rest,” Gracchus answered. Smiling, he raised one hand and gripped the shoulder folds of his robe. “I suggest that he begin with the town to which we currently lay siege,” he added.
“That means violating the Borderlands Treaty!” Vespasian protested. “We have honored that agreement for untold centuries!”
“That is also true,” Gracchus replied. “But if you do not violate the treaty, you will die, and the Vagaries might be forever defeated here and now. The choice seems clear.”
As Vespasian considered Gracchus’ words, he suddenly remembered the katsugai mosota he had killed only hours before, and the dire warning that the Shashidan had given him. Vespasian and Lucius had dismissed it as a lie, but now the emperor wasn’t so sure.
“There is something that you need to know,” Vespasian told Gracchus. “At first I thought it was nothing more than the desperate ravings of a dying man. But now it seems to have greater importance.”
“Tell me,” Gracchus said.
“A captured katsugai told me that he had recently come from the south,” Vespasian answered, “and that he was privy to secret information. He said that theJin’Sai was trying to cross the Azure Sea. If that is true-”
“Itis true,” Gracchus interrupted. “The Viper Lord tried to kill Tristan at the edges of the Azure Sea, but he failed. We cannot know whether theJin’Sai has reached Shashida, but we must assume that he has. It is all the more reason to take the initiative and be the first to use the banned spells! Think for a moment, Vespasian! There can be only one reason why theChikara Inkai would welcome theJin’Sai into their midst! They wish to imbue his blood with banned forestallments as well! Now there is surely no choice-we must violate the Borderlands Treaty first, before they can give theJin’Sai such powers and order him to do the same! And if theJin’Sai is indeed there, we will finally succeed in killing him! Right now we may still have the upper hand, but if we wait until he reaches Shashida, the moment will be lost forever! But before we completely destroy Shashida, the gold mines must be safely in our possession, for we must first ensure that we can maintain stability at home. Without greatly adding to our treasury, a revolt is an eventual certainty.”
Vespasian tiredly walked to a chair and sat down. The issues that had been put before him were earthshaking. The longer he considered Gracchus’ words, the more difficult his decision became.
He had to agree that thePon Q’tar ’s scheme would likely succeed. If his gifts were in fact as powerful as Gracchus claimed, using them would likely mean taking the gold mines, vanquishing Shashida once and for all, and forever ending Vigors use on this side of the world. TheJin’Sai would be dead, and the only remaining impediment to the world domination of the Vagaries would be theJin’Saiou. Moreover, his terrors would end and his life would be spared.
Despite all these temptations, Vespasian hesitated. As Emperor of Rustannica, he had strictly abided by her laws and agreements-especially the Borderlands Treaty. Vespasian had not been one of those who so long ago devised and ratified that agreement, but like every emperor since then, he had respected it.
Vespasian was a devout Vagaries worshipper, but what Gracchus was asking him to do would clearly violate not only the treaty, but also his personal sense of honor. Millions would die by his hand, and the earth’s devastation might be forever unredeemable. That was the very reason the Borderlands Treaty had been proposed by the Shashidans and later agreed to by both sides. His mind awash with concern, Vespasian looked worriedly at Gracchus.
“Can you guarantee that only Shashida will be destroyed?” Vespasian asked. “I know nothing of these spells. I must have your assurances that they can be controlled!”
“Like these spells, your blood is the most potent known to man,” Gracchus answered. “We believe that they can be controlled, but only by you and theJin’Sai. Despite their immense power, you will find summoning them to be a relatively simple matter. Controlling their use will be more difficult, but not impossible. I will teach you all that you need to know. If Shashida is to be crushed and theJin’Sai killed, these spells must be used. Only they can provide the raw power needed to do so-to say nothing of saving your life.”
“And what of my personal legacy?” Vespasian asked. “Can you guarantee that as well? I desire nothing more than to be known as the emperor who finally accomplishes these wondrous things. But the Borderlands Treaty is well known throughout Rustannica, and I have no wish to be the first emperor to violate it. If I do, history might not be as kind to me as you predict.”
Gracchus smiled. “Werule Rustannica,” he answered, “not the citizens. Our history has always been what we make of it. If we die trying to win this war, it won’t matter. Should we win, just as we censor the meetings of the Suffragat, we can easily explain our victory to the Rustannican citizens in any way that we like. If you do not wish to be known as the emperor who first violated the treaty, we will say that the Shashidans were the aggressors. Always remember that history is written by the victors, not the vanquished.”
Vespasian looked over at Persephone to see worry on her lovely face. Although at first she had been enraged, now more than anything she worried for her husband’s life. If that meant violating the treaty, so be it. After taking a deep breath, she gave Vespasian a nod, indicating her agreement.
Persuading the First Tribune would be another matter. As Vespasian turned to look at him, a dark look overcame Lucius’ face. He hated Gracchus, and he had never tried to hide it. Hearing that the lead cleric had duped them all for the sake of the craft had seemingly angered Lucius more than anyone. Even so, he recognized the need to go forward with Gracchus’ plan, for it seemed that the opportunity was far too tempting to squander. And so he too would consent to Gracchus’ wishes. But in payment for his agreement he would first demand his pound of flesh.
Raising one arm, he quickly pointed it at the lead cleric. At once Gracchus’ throat started to constrict as though someone had slipped a rope around it and was strangling him. Although Gracchus was a powerful craft practitioner, so was Lucius. If Lucius could subdue Gracchus fast enough, the cleric would likely be unable to summon enough power to strike back. As Gracchus choked and struggled, Lucius levitated the cleric off his feet. Then he looked at Vespasian.
The emperor nodded. “Very well,” he said. “Because of his treachery, you may have your fun. Just see that he doesn’t die.”
With Gracchus firmly in his power, Lucius walked over to stand before him. By this time there was nothing that Gracchus could do to break Lucius’ hold over him. Placing his hands on his hips, Lucius looked up into Gracchus’ eyes.
The cleric’s face was growing red and his feet were wildly kicking as if trying to gain a purchase on thin air. Saying nothing, Lucius let him linger a bit longer. As precious seconds ticked by, drool started forming in the corners of the cleric’s mouth, then ran down his chin and onto his white and burgundy robe.
“Should any harm befall the emperor because of your secret spells, or should I learn that you have withheld any part of the truth, I’ll see to it that you and every otherPon Q’tar member dies,” he said quietly. “You are not in Ellistium, Gracchus. Your fawning citizenry is not here to protect you. And unlike them, you do not command my worship. Instead, you are surrounded by hundreds of legions, each of which owes its allegiance first to Vespasian, then to the empress, and then to me. They would as soon see you die as I would. I suggest that you remember that.”
Finally releasing his grip on Gracchus, Lucius let him crash to the floor.
Gracchus fell hard, causing Vespasian to wonder whether Lucius had miscalculated and killed him. Then the cleric gasped. Coughing wildly, he spat up more drool, then finally sat up. As he recovered, he looked at Lucius with hate-filled eyes.
One day you will pay dearly for this insult, First Tribune, he thought as he shakily came to his feet. No one dares treat the lead cleric this way and lives. But that will not be today. Today my only goal is to initiate my ultimate war weapon, and so I shall.
Weakened but undaunted, Gracchus ignored Lucius and looked into Vespasian’s eyes. Everything had come down to this moment.
“May I have your answer, my liege?” he asked, his voice hoarse. “The time is now. Not only does the war effort need you, but your next terror could come at any time. If so, it might kill you.”
Vespasian found much of the cleric’s proposal unpleasant, but he realized that he had little choice. Besides, he reasoned, if for some reason thePon Q’tar had wanted him dead, they had had ample chances to kill him before now. Striding toward Gracchus, the emperor looked sternly into his eyes.
“I will do what you ask of me,” he said. “But hear me well, cleric. You and Lucius are both right. There are no citizens here to protect you, and only the victors write history-including yours. Should any harm befall me from these secret spells, I hereby grant Lucius and Persephone the right to avenge me in any way they see fit, including the total elimination of thePon Q’tar. Do we understand each other?”
Gracchus fell to his knees and kissed the back of Vespasian’s hand.
“Agreed, my liege,” he answered. “You will soon command wonders of the craft that the rest of us can only dream of. To begin, you must order a full-scale retreat of our forces from the riverside village that they continue to sack.”
Vespasian gave Gracchus a suspicious look. “Why?” he demanded.
Gracchus came to his feet. “Because they are no longer needed,” he answered with a smile.
Vespasian turned toward Lucius. “Make it so,” he ordered.
“But my liege!” Lucius protested. “We have lost many legionnaires in this latest struggle! Only now are we starting to gain control of the city! The gold mines lie just beyond! If we abandon our fight, what message does that send to our troops?”
“It sends the message that their emperor is still in command of these forces!” Vespasian shouted back. “I’m not asking for your permission, Lucius! Besides, I should think that you would be eager to put the cleric’s words to the test! Should I be harmed, you and Persephone can take your revenge in any way that you like!”
“Even if we order a retreat by azure portals, it will take at least three hours,” Lucius countered.
“Then I suggest that you start now,” Vespasian answered.
Clearly upset, Lucius would nonetheless do as his emperor ordered. Gathering up his helmet, he strode angrily from the tent and into the night. At once he could be heard barking out orders that the other tribunes would find nearly impossible to believe. Pouring two cups of wine, Persephone gave one to Vespasian, and the three Rustannican rulers listened as Lucius’ voice faded into the night.
As they waited, Gracchus further detailed Vespasian’s many new gifts and how to use them. As the cleric talked on, Vespasian and Persephone could scarcely believe their ears.
FOUR HOURS LATER, VESPASIAN, GRACCHUS, PERSEPHONE, and Lucius stood atop the long, sloping hill that lay just north of the partly destroyed Shashidan city. The remainingPon Q’tar members and Julia Idaeus were also in attendance. Only moments ago Vespasian had received word that by his orders, his forces had abandoned the struggle. At Gracchus’ suggestion, those same legionnaires now surrounded the three rulers by the hundreds of thousands, waiting to see what would happen. Let them witness your reasons for their unexpected retreat, Gracchus had suggested to the emperor. Not only will it justify your decision, but it will assert your ultimate mastery of the craft for all time.
A great and terrible thing was about to occur, the stunned legionnaires had heard. The coming wonder would mean a quick victory here, allowing them to finally push forth toward the Shashidan gold mines. The rumor went on that the emperor himself was about to single-handedly finish destroying this enemy city. Eager to see what might happen, the legionnaires stood in strict ranks as they waited for their beloved emperor to act.
The night was clear and calm as the many thousands waited atop the hill. Magenta light beaming down from the three red moons provided more than enough illumination for everyone to see the suffering of the beleaguered city nestled in the valley below. Dawn would break in less than two hours, and a soft breeze caressed the waiting Rustannicans. The grass was shiny with dew and the hillside was peaceful, its tranquillity in stark contrast to the desperate scene at the bottom of the valley.
The Shashidan city was called Kagoya. Parts of it were still ablaze, but there were fewer such areas than earlier. With the retreat of Vespasian’s legions, the Shashidan civilians and the katsugai mosota who had been rushed from Ryoto to help defend Kagoya had worked tirelessly to quell the flames and to tend the wounded. Even so, the city remained engulfed in an insane uproar.
Katsugai and civilians rushed about, trying to quell the flames and bring order to the chaos. Dead bodies and body parts from both sides of the conflict lay everywhere, the blood from their gaping wounds running red in the streets. Children cried, buildings still caved in here and there, and many wounded souls wandered the city aimlessly.
Earlier this night the dwindling Shashidans had watched as hundreds more Rustannican azure portals suddenly formed. Surely this will mean the end, they thought. But rather than see more enemy troops pour forth from the spinning vortices, the katsugai commanders couldn’t believe their good luck as legionnaires by the thousands abandoned the fight to enter the portals and be gone. Hours later, not one living enemy soldier could be found in the city. We are saved, everyone thought. We will live on to fight another day. And so, although their desperate struggles to quell the fires and to save the wounded continued, at least they now sensed a modicum of hope.
The fools, Vespasian thought as he sat atop one of his white stallions and he looked down on the scene. Little can they comprehend the forces that I am about to unleash.
Gracchus’ instructions to Vespasian regarding his new gifts and the various powers that they would unleash had been awesome in their mazelike complexities, stunning Vespasian and Persephone nearly into speechlessness. The cleric went on to say that because of the supremely gifted nature of Vespasian’s blood, the emperor would be able to call them forth with relative ease. The difficult part, Gracchus had warned, would be to control their ferocity once they had been unleashed.
Through his amazing revelations, Gracchus had at least partly redeemed himself in his emperor’s eyes. Even so, before using his new gifts, Vespasian had insisted that Julia Idaeus perform an auspicium to foretell whether his imminent use of the craft would bring good results or bad. As Julia expected, Gracchus embraced the idea warmly. Vespasian nodded to Julia, telling her to begin.
As the Femiculi walked toward her white birds, she again suffered the bizarre combination of emotions that always roiled up inside her whenever she was forced to participate in this sham of the craft. So as to protect her identity, she must conduct the ritual flawlessly, all the while appearing to believe in its power to help guide the empire. Yet she couldn’t help but worry for Shashida, the land in which she now stood and truly revered. It was not unusual for the Femiculi to perform auspiciums on the battlefield-she had done so many times. But this one would surely be even more awful in its portent, for like thePon Q’tar members, she too had finally been informed of Vespasian’s special gifts. The mere thought of being a part of any ritual that might grant good tidings to such a terrible scheme brought fear and disgust to her heart.
She knew full well that theChikara Inkai would want her to perform her part of the auspicium normally. They would forbid her to try to affect Gracchus’ tampering with the birds’ direction of flight, should Gracchus do so to ensure the favorable outcome that the lead cleric needed. Such interference would surely tell Gracchus that someone was plotting against him, perhaps causing his sharp brown eyes to turn toward her. Above all else, her secret identity as a League of Whispers member and her august position of Priory Femiculi must be preserved.
Even so, she felt that her refusal to expose Gracchus for the charlatan that he was somehow made her a traitor to Shashida. Knowing that she must do nothing to prevent Gracchus from subverting the ritual, she prepared to perform the auspicium.
The ten white sacred birds sat tethered to a golden rail. After coming to stand before the cooing birds, Julia pointed a finger in their direction. At once the tethers binding the birds’ feet to the rail vanished. This time, rather than wing their way home to the Rotunda after their direction of flight had been made clear, the birds would obediently return to the golden rail. Just as she had done many times before, Julia bowed her head.
“O sacred flame of the Vagaries, grant us the wisdom to perform this auspicium and to be guided by its decree,” she recited. “Allow your divine magic to drive the sacred birds skyward and show your humble craft servants which path is best. In our emperor’s name we ask for your guidance. In your name we offer our thanks and our continued servitude.”
With that, Julia raised her arms higher. Amid a quick flurry of white wings, the birds took to the sky.
As always, for several tense moments the birds circled overhead, giving no inkling as to their decree. Then they gathered to fly due north for a short distance before returning to their perch. As the birds landed one by one, from behind the protection of her veil Julia desperately blinked back her tears.
Northward, she thought, her heart breaking. The auspiciums are good and Vespasian will surely act. With Gracchus in attendance, was there ever any doubt?
Julia looked over to see that the lead cleric and the otherPon Q’tar members were beaming with delight. She couldn’t know whether Gracchus had secretly altered the birds’ direction of flight, nor did it matter. All that mattered now was that Vespasian would use his new powers for the first time, and the entire dynamic of the War of Attrition was about to change forever.
“The time has come, my liege,” Gracchus said to Vespasian. “Unleash one of your gifts and finish off Kagoya once and for all. Then we will take the gold fields. Soon we will walk the streets of Ryoto as our own.”
“Do you have a suggestion as to which gift should be summoned?” Vespasian asked.
“I do,” Gracchus answered simply. The lead cleric turned to look down upon the stricken city. “Much of Kagoya still stands,” he said. “I suggest that the same force of nature that began its destruction be allowed to finish the task.”
Vespasian nodded. After giving Persephone a somber look, he again turned his attention toward the beleaguered city. Following Gracchus’ training, he closed his eyes and raised his arms skyward.
At once Vespasian saw the many elaborate banned forestallment calculations whirling in his mind. Their computations were elegant, all-powerful. Selecting the one he wanted, he caused the others to vanish. As the chosen spell came to life for the first time, Vespasian opened his eyes.
Soon the eager Rustannicans could not believe their eyes. The clouds in the heavens were literally obeying Vespasian’s commands and combining into a single huge veil in the sky. As the clouds coalesced, thunder arose, its rumblings terrible, nearly deafening. The rising wind began to howl, and with it came bright lightning that streaked majestically across the sky. Everyone watched in awe as the lone cloud drifted directly over Kagoya, its immense size easily reaching from one end of the city to the other. Soon the cloud slowed, the city beneath it entirely unaware that it was about to be wiped from the face of the earth.
Closing his eyes again, Vespasian summoned the second half of the needed spell. At once the massive cloud began changing from milky white to a bright, raging red. Soon the red form in the sky glowed even brighter. Heat radiated from it, the torridness rising so quickly that it could be felt even by the Rustannican multitudes lining the hill. With another great crack of lightning the raging form split apart, showering down its contents. As Julia watched them fall onto Kagoya, her heart broke in two.
Vespasian’s terrible creation was raining liquid fire.
The orange-red fire fell not as flames, but as great molten gobs, like volcanic lava loosed from the sky. It did not start at one end of Kagoya and work its way toward the other, for that might have allowed the terrified Shashidans a chance to flee. Instead, the awful stuff fell upon the city as a whole, sparing no part of it.
As the gathered Rustannicans watched, Vespasian’s awesome creation immediately ignited every remaining building and flowed down each street, engulfing everyone and everything in its path. Soon it joined forces with the fires that were already raging in the city, turning Kagoya into a gigantic torrent of flame. When the craft’s terrible work was done, the fire vanished, leaving only dense smoke and the smell of burning flesh rising into the air. Nothing moved within the dead, blackened city. It seemed to everyone on the hillside that not only had Kagoya been destroyed, its very soul had been vaporized.
His task done, Vespasian lowered his arms. So exhausted that he could barely remain atop his stallion, he closed his eyes, drew a deep breath and gripped his saddle pommel. When he finally opened his eyes, the sight before him was awesome, unexpected.
Every living soul atop the hill and for as far as he could see into the night was on his or her knees before him, head bowed. Even thePon Q’tar had never witnessed such an amazing use of the craft and they too had taken postures of supplication before the wondrous demigod they had created.
Vespasian ordered everyone to rise. Thunderous victory cheers soon rose into the night, and the throngs of legionnaires banged their gladii against their shields in honor of the great emperor and craft wielder whom it was their privilege to serve. Victory wine flowed among the joyful troops.
Wending his way through the crowd, Benedik Pryam came to stand beside Gracchus. Looking down at the smoldering ruins of Kagoya, he smiled and handed the lead cleric a cup of wine.
“So it seems that you have finally realized your masterpiece of the craft after all,” he whispered. “I must admit that some of the more skepticalPon Q’tar members were starting to have their doubts. It is fortunate for all of us that Vespasian’s impending terrors reached out to his mind no later than they did. Otherwise we might have begun a campaign that we couldn’t finish.”
“I am as delighted as you,” Gracchus answered as he continued to grin and wave theatrically at the triumphant emperor. “Although we take a major step toward ultimate victory this night, do not think for one moment that the battle is won. If theJin’Sai has reached Shashida, our real fight may have only started. Either way, the War of Attrition is forever escalated.”
As Benedik watched the beloved emperor being joyfully pulled from his saddle and into the waiting arms of the legionnaires who so loved him, he smiled again.
“Tell me, Gracchus,” he whispered. “Now that you have created this wonder of the craft, did you leave the proper spells in place as we agreed? Can you in fact still control Vespasian? ThePon Q’tar has fears along those lines as well.”
“Of course,” Gracchus answered. “After all, when one creates such a monster as this, one must be sure that it is kept in a very strong cage.”
“And that cage remains in place?” Benedik asked.
“Yes,” Gracchus answered. “As we planned, his terrors were not in fact vanquished after the use of his first banned forestallment. Instead, they still lurk in his subconscious. But unlike before, they will no longer spring up of their own choosing. Should our creation become rebellious, I will order the terrors to revisit him. Only then will I tell him how and why.”
Turning to Benedik, Gracchus smiled.
“So you see, my friend, all is as it should be,” the lead cleric said. “Soon the Shashidan gold will be traveling home to Ellistium and we will be dining in the fabled gardens of the Kyuden Shimin.”
Smiling broadly, the two clerics linked arms and drank heartily of the rich victory wine.