Midsea
The great inland ocean that is called Midsea was usally alive
with activity as traders travel. Today was no diffrent except that
their were many more ships traveling this day. These ships were not
trading ships or ships of war all thought their was a many warships
blockading Videssia, but these ship were not headed towards Videssia.
They were headed towards Mirabalpur. A Celepar ship caring some Celepar
Wizards travled throught the straight that concted Midsea to the Eastern
Sea. From the north came two Free city ships. One carried the
Overpriest of Elanbur the other carried a delegation from the Saraan.
>>From the west came many ships. The Wizards Guild traveled from
Taltheran, but also traveling was the Royal Necromancer, the Brotherhood
of the East, and the Empress Yzara of Cedonia to name a few. Two more
ships sailed north from the Free cities.
Not all of the delegats travled by ship. The Imperial Sorcerers
of Torphan being to far away to reach Mirabalpur in time. They walked
throught the Mist to the great city of Mirabalpur, but they were not the
only ones who used magic to travel. Over the great desert three
invisable shapless cretures speed on by to their destination. All of
these people had a purpose for traveling to Mirablpur. They were going
to the Meeting of Nations.
Mirabalpur
Eubratosa wachted as the Eerith wanished from the room. He
smiled to himself. True he did not have complet control over the
situation, but at least it was going acording to plan. The nations were
coming. The Eerith had come and were willing to talk. Half the Council
suported him and the other half would soon fall in line. Yes things
were going very well. Just then Riacrada interupted his thoughts.
"Now what." She asked
"Now we meet the other degleates." his son answeared. Eubratosa
frowned. Nioratosa that was the only thing that was not working
acording to his plan. When his son was an apprentise he had been a
"leader". And not just because the other Apprentice let him. No the
polatics of being an apprentice were harder than the polotics of being a
Sorcerer. True the Sorcerers delt with biger problems but when you are a
Sorcerer your postions has basicaly been established. And that postion
is usally establish when the Sorcerers were apprentices. And in the
Apprentice polatics Nioratosa had been one of the few on top, but yet
now. The Archmage just shook his head. He looked at the people in the
room.
"Yes please go tell the Council to get ready everthing ready."
They all turn to leave, but Eubratosa stops them. "Riacrada. Would you
please stay." Riacarda looked at the Archmage then said, "Yes"
Riacrada took the seat opposit him . Dioya and Nioratosa looked at one
another then and left. Closing the door behind them. Eubratosa sat
down at his desk and stared at Riacrada. It was not an attractive stare
or an upset stare it just was an emotionless stare.
"I have heard that you are upset with me." Eubratosa asked.
Riacrada looked a little confused as she answeared him.
"I am not upset at you. Were did you hear that?"
"I have heard that you were upset when Nioratosa was raised to
Leader of Younger Sorcerers, the Fivth of Mir, and Fourth of the
Council." Eubratosa explained. Then he contiuned "You beleave that he
was raised to that position because I was his father." Riacarda just
looked at him. Eubratosa had his answear. "You are partly right. One
of the reson he rose to power so fast was because I am his father, but
he would have aventaly been raised to the postion his is now. He is
very strong in magic, and as an Apprentice he did rise to "power" in the
Apprentice Council" They both smiled at this as it was a joke among the
Sorcerers. "Their are two Councils on Mir. The Old Men and
Apprentices," was saying. The Apprentice thought that once they had
reached the Apprentice Council they were equal to the Sorcerers. The
Sorcerers let them think that untill they pased the test and joined the
Brotherhood. Then they relised that the Sorcerers really did not care
what they thought.
Their was a reason the Sorcerers let the Apprentices form their
own Council. Those Apprentices that were able to become members and
stay members longer than one month would proble one day become a
powerful Sorcerer. It also helped the Sorcerers desided which area each
Apprentice would best be trained in. As Eubratosa thought about this he
remebered that he had promised to attend an Apprentice Council "meeting"
tomorrow. But that was a thought for later.
"Yes I am very upset that Nioratosa was given his position on a
silver plater." Riacrada answeared honestly. "I had to work all my
life
to get to the postion I am know. And what does he have to do. Be the
son of the Archmage. Yes he is powerful and is very inteligent."
"Riacrada. I know what you have gone throught a lot to get were
you are. All though its did not happen they way you say." Riacrada
looked confused. "For starters their was never a debat about the fact
that you would leader of the Sorceress. Your fight has been earning the
respect of the rest of the Sorcerers. You have fought to prove that you
are as good as them and deserve the same amont of respect as anyone
else.
You have gotten what you sought. You are the Leader of the Sorceress,
the
Second of Mir, and the First of the Council." Eubratosa told Riacarda.
Riacarda looking back relises that he is right. Her role as Leader of
the Sorceress had never been in question. She had been striving for
respect and to prove that she was as good as any man. She suddenly
undersood why the Apprentices and Younger Sorcerers liked this guy.
After watching you he began to understand what you needed, and he would
tell and help as much as he could. Riacrada thought then her other
little irritation entered her mind.
"But you have made it very clear that you want Nioratosa to
become Archmage after you." Riacrada pointed out. Eubratosa smiled.
"Yes."
"If you are trying to turn Mir into a Monarchy well...."
Riacrada started.
"You have the stongest claim to the Throne. I know. I know."
Eubratosa sighed then looked her staight in the face. "Yes you do have a
claim on the Throne IF we ever restor it, but I have a stronger one."
"You do!" Riacrada said scepticly. Eubratosa just smiled at her
the stood up walked over to a shelf and removed a chest. He set the
chest down on the table and began to draw in magic. He began to speak,
but he did not speak in the normal languge of Magic but Faerie. He
slowly spoke the words as he drew apon the will of a Strong Faerie.
Long ago when the Gatway to the Dreaming had been opened and
the Sorcerers had searched the Dreaming. The Archmage came apon a Faerie
that will was strong. One of the Stongest any Sorcerer had ever found.
An agrement had been reached and the Faerie had promised the Archmage
that all the Archmages of Mir after him could use the Faerie's will,
but this promise had come with a cost that all the Archmages pay for use
of his will. Unknow to the Archmage this Faerie had died but had passed
his promise to his succesor. After all a promise is a promise.
As Eubratosa continued the spell the very light outside seemed
to dim. A blue light apered over the chest. Then as Eubratosa
countinued with the spell the light slowlly began to move from the chest
to his hand. Riacrada gasped when she understood this was a Protection
spell, but what could be so important that it required so strong a
spell.
As Eubratosa cast the spell the Faerie whoms will he was drawing
from looked in the direct of Mir and stared untill he figured out what
was going one. He normal would not have noticed it except that that he
was know longer in the Dreaming were his magical powers were three times
stonger. Just then he saw his Grandson and forgot about it.
When at last the spell was finished Riacrada finally started to
breath again. Eubratosa sat down with a thud.
"What was that about?" Riacrada asked.
"Open the Chest and take the Artifact out and you will
understand." Eubratosa said softly. An Artifact, Riacrada thought.
That would explain haveing a Protection Spell just not so strong of a
Protection Spell. Curies she opened the chest and gasped. Riacrada did
not even have to take the Artifact out to know its name. Before her lay
the most legendary Artifact that Mir had ever created. Before her laid
the Crown of Mir.
Long ago the Crown of Mir had been created by the Brotherhood
and given to the Monarchy to show their loyalty to Mir. After the
revolution it had been given to the niece of the King and both the Crown
and the girl had disapered a year later. The Artifact was not as
powerful as the Scepter of Mir or Golden Mirror but is was still more
powerful then most Artifacts.
"Yes that is the Crown of Mir." Eubratosa sayed but Riacrada
heard the unsaid statment. Eubratosa and Nioratosa were desended from
the niece that disapered with the crown. Eubratosa's clam was the
strongest of all.
Asadu had been excused from his leasons so that he could
spend time with his new born baby. Asadu was siting holding his baby
marvoling at his little hands and feet. Asadu had seen many marovles
performed by magic. He had seen the Sorcerers once bring rain to
dieing crops, he himself had gone to the Oracle and had wached as the
Sorcerersbut the guards to sleep then he had helped them cast the spell
on the Oracle, but all that power did not equal to the marvol of the
child Asadu held in his hands. Asadu was so busy lookin at his baby he
did not notice the stranger coalesce in the room. The newcomer was
wraped in robes with swirling tatoeos covring his exposed face and
hands. He stood silently as Father and son looked at each other. He
wached with rapt facination; even thought all Eerith were conceted. This
was outside of his understanding, for love was something that connected
two diffrent entities and the Eerith, at heart, were a singular folk--to
similar to each other to develop love such as this.
With an odd feeling of intrusion, the Eerith turned and raped
sharply on the inside of the door. Asadu looked up and saw the
stranger. He held his son protectively for a moment while studying this
figure in his home. The Eerith waited quietly while Asadu desided he
ment them no harm
"Hello Gentalman. My apologies, how long have you been standing
there?" The robed Eerith did not reply direclty. "You are the
Apprentice Asadu," it was a statement, not a question.
"Yes. And who..."just then the knock came again this time on
the other side of the door. Asadu looked to the door and called, "Come
in."
Nioratosa entered, "Asadu. My father sent me to tell. . . oh."
He had noticed the Eerith standing in the room and his face took on a
nurves look. "I see that you have already meet."
"Its nice to see you with out a chair in front of you." The
Eerith said without malice. Nioratosa laughs. Asad looks at the men
and cleared his throat.
"May I ask as to your name." Asadu ventered.
"I don't have one." The Eerith says. "Will you help us write
a Treaty?"
Later that day. The Council of Twelve and the Archmage were
standing on the docks of Mirabalpur. Around them stand many of the
other Sorcerers of Mir and with them stands their families. Puting into
harbor was a Cedonian ship. Flying from the mast was the Bannor of the
Empress. This had been a suprise. Cedonia and Mir have never been on
the best of terms but then they never have really delt with each other.
But the fact that the Empress of Cedonia her self was attending, was a
suprise. Know they were ready to show her Imperial Highness that Mir
was just as great a nation as Cedonia. They wached as the Empress
desended down the gangeplank with Guards standing on ether side.
Eubratosa looked at the Empress. He had heard that she was beautiful
and young. He know saw that it was true. She was younger then
Nioratosa but older then Asadu. She also had the look of a true leader
on her face. Eubratosa knew that this would be an intresting woman to
deal with. Just then she walked up to him.
"Greatings your Imperail Majesty." Eubratosa said with a bow of
his head.
"Greetings Archmage." she responded also with a bow of her head.
"If your Imperial Majesty would follow me I shall show you to
your quarters." Eubratosa says seeing that the poor woman is sweating
very heave. He holds out his arm.
"Thank You. That would be nice." She responce as she takes his
arm. The two of them walk down the path way formed by the Mirish Guards.
"Archmage we will need to have a talk about certen activities you been
doing within my realm."
"If you wish." he says smiling at her.
Mirs path loomed dark before her.
Archmage of Mir
Jason Todd Heaps
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