The Shining Wyrm

Jewel considered her Liege Mathias, the man was aged into a wreck of a figure. Since her arrival in the capital he'd brought her into council of matters far larger than she’d ever been asked to attend before the War with Magarska. Many of them did involve Magarska itself to start.

“The High Kingdom is by all reports splintering at its edges, through the center of the Dacian Vault they have ‘mostly’ retained the allegiance of the principalities and consolidated power in Terminapolis for now, but in the south of Apotamidua all but the Vanaand and a few territories along the sky pass between the vaults have rebelled or defected to southern powers.”

Word that Evren had been crowned High King of Magarska had been surprising, but it made some sense to Jewel, apparently his rank was in the direct line of succession? But if Magarska had worked anything like Cantor Reborn then why would there have been rebellions? She did not grasp how but it must have been different. The Realm’s High King succession was a matter of all the Vassals in the realm and the vouching of the Pantheon on a candidate. Viznove and Arva each had their say in Mathias’ successor.

Not much of one normally, the House of Stein counted the entire vault of the Valley of Man in their holdings; one of their family had been upon the throne for generations. Even when Mathias’ predecessor had gone mad and needed to be deposed, another Stein was elevated in his place.

But as with so much else Jewel was finding that Magarska operated differently, and at least in the coming years she did not expect it was going to go well for Viznove’s long time rival, Jewel struggled to find pity for the foolish child Evren and his new responsibilities to the weakened kingdom. But the horror of the war she had just finished made her heart clench.

No, not even the foolish child deserved to suffer that alone. He had apparently done well in occupying Murad’s army to the south.

He deserved more from her.

They had not spoken or sent missives since the war but the other Wyrm had been a solid ally despite that.

She should have an offering of truce written up for Magarska when her business here was finished. Perhaps she could get Mathias’ agreement to it before she left?

Still, with a shuffle of her wings and a slight flexing up and down her coils Jewel worked the stillness out of her body, ignoring the eyes it drew from the delegation from the Pantheon, Jewel ignored the stares, Magarska was not the matter of tonight, her thoughts needed to be here.

In this meeting.

For the realm’s side it was Mathias, Jewel, Paul, Leo, a surprisingly youthful Archpriestess of Asherah and the court wizard Erhard.

For the Pantheon were three men, High Priests all, Arrigo, Ioannes and Evaristus, each in finely made robes, unique in the specific items of their finery but unified in the opulence of gold ornaments, rich tyrian-purple cloth and silver embroidery.

Incongruous among them Peter Bulchava, although even more opulently decorated did not match any of the colors of the priests, preferring all manner of blues for his clothing, from pale near white to an almost pitch black saphire hue to his leather.

One of the priests turned to look at Paul before turning to Mathias.

“This is a matter of grave secrecy High King Mathias, your realm’s tame Wyrm is a concession but the-”

Jewel interrupted the man that smelled far too prideful for her liking and dared to doubt her intelligence.

“My Husband Paul is the Count Consort of Viznove and is well appraised of the nature of this meeting. It would be unbecoming to give undue insult to such a station would it not Father Ioannes of the Pantheon?”

The look of shock would almost be refreshing, to have been mistaken for an animal again but they had been witness to her conversing and engaging with the other guests all through their welcoming feast last night, they had a full day to gather the details of her person.

To be ignorant after that? That was an insult.

Ioannes’ surprise stiffened into a frown, then deepened into a scowl, but the two other priests shared a brief glance, they smelled amused, the one on his left even seemed spitefully vindicated. There was an open smile on the strange Merchant’s face that had yet to speak in this meeting.

Adelyne’s condensed report on the man and the Pantheon in general was not comforting, nor was Havel’s more recent direct testimony from traveling amongst them. Mathias nodded slowly, acknowledging her words and giving approval to Jewel’s statement in one motion before he spoke.

“All those present at this table are already more than aware of the nature of this meeting, and you yourself have included counsel unusual for its nature.”

Peter Bulchava smiled brightly to the High King as if they were long time friends, shoulders rising ever so slightly as if he had little say in his being here despite the scent of delight that spilled through the man’s clothes.

Mathias turned away from the overdressed peddler to focus on the priests.

“So let us begin. We’ve heard your official declaration, but in this delicate manner of the heavens what can the Pantheon’s highest bring to light more clearly?”

The Priest on Ioannes’ right raised a hand ever so slightly, to one that was seated at the usual height of a man it would be hidden by the table, but Jewel’s gaze was from quite a height greater even with her lounging on Mathias’ left.

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“It is a very disturbing suspicion, one which we hear has only grown through the attempted divinations of the Temples throughout your realm. Our own entreaties to the gods have failed to verify it however.”

As the priest finished Erhard rumbled, voice like a bellows, with a hum like the crackle of coals.

“Failed to verify? Even with the rituals written up by the skilled Priest Leo Haeborne? Was not the answer clear when tested in the temple of Asherah?”

The Archpriestess of Asherah nodded solemnly, her face covered by a veil, but Jewel could smell a hint of nerves on her, not quite fear, but an agitated restlessness. In the presence of those that in a court or kingdom might be considered her superiors where it did not pertain to her Goddess.

It reminded Jewel of how highly skilled Guild Members acted when they brought disagreement to one of the heads of their profession in Kaeketeh.

“That is correct, High Priest Evaristus, when the ritual is followed as laid down by the Viznove Court Priest Leo Haeborne, the ‘souls’ of the dead invoked do not know what is not within the knowledge of the priests or petitioner. Although it is difficult to ensure that the deceit is hidden from those involved lest their hearts be read by the divine it was not outside the remit of one skilled and experienced in divination.”

The scowl only deepened on Ioannes’ face, curving towards a sneer as he listened to the highest ranking diviner on the side of Cantor Reborn give an implication of his or his diviner’s incompetence.

“This so-called ‘ritual’ was the work of one barely past being an apprentice in a backwater ruled by a Wyrm! He admits in his own notes that it is based on an invocation so mangled that it summoned forth a wild god of course it failed to call up a soul at all! When the heavens have been beseeched by properly vetted and hallowed rituals performed by our best with power and favor far in excess of such simple offerings his so called ‘rite’ calls for there has been no such ambiguity of the heavens regarding the dead.”

Leo was on his feet before anyone else could speak, that same furious intensity that Jewel had seen when calling up a ritual to defend Jewel’s eggs from Vampyres twisting his face, body shaking with his fury.

“The ritual did not fail! The god summoned was confirmed as the Veles! Did you not read what I wrote?! The heavens could not-”

“Court Priest Leo!”

Jewel’s words shook the bones of all present, but her stubborn priest seemed only just barely able to find the will to stop himself and return to his seat beside Paul.

Mathias’ voice sounded far too frail for a High King in the silence Jewel had opened for him.

“If there is concern about the nature of the ritual being invoked around my realm, where more than half of the Temples report the same as Court Priest Leo warns of? Perhaps the Pantheon in their great experience and wisdom would be willing to verify the concern is unfounded here and now before me so we can move onto other business before the night ends?”

The voice of the High King of Cantor Reborn sounded so terribly weary.

The three High Priests shared a look, a furious muttering taken up between them that Jewel only pretended not to hear. Truly did these priests know nothing of her? Judging her a beast and then openly discussing among themselves within ear shot?

“There is a risk, it's been well reported that the gods behave oddly in the presence of both of the Tyrant Wyrms.”

“A risk for fools! Magarska’s chaplains have proven how far they fell from our teachings, but I thought we had set down proper vetting for the ranks of temples here, alas in these northern lands that even an Archpriestess of a Goddess is fooled by an apprentice’ scrawling.”

“What if it is star poison or a fiend's blessing passed as a curse from one temple to the next? Clouding the vision of the diviners?”

“If it is a curse one of us with our patrons would be sufficient to cast it out, two a surety, with three of us and our strengthened backing of the heavens there is not even a possibility. And if it's found out as a star poison we can declare the arrogant little shit of a boy and his ritual censored and silence him under a death vow.”

“I thought we were going to censor his ‘ritual’ regardless. But yes, an awful impertinent youth deserves a life long vow of silence for his outburst.”

Jewel only barely held her composure as the three men dressed in finery fit for kings muttered and plotted in front of her. It was absurd! They were acting as if Leo had lied? As if the Veles had not spoken to her and then twisted a man’s body so horribly that she could only burn the horrid thing away out of mercy?

Her focus was narrowing so tightly to keep herself from reacting to their words she very nearly missed when they finally spoke in a voice audible to the High King.

“We will immediately verify the claims of the Court Priest of Viznove and the temples of Cantor Reborn with the Countess of Viznove and her father’s soul. By vetted and proven means, not the adhoc stumbling of a youth.”

Jewel pinned Leo in his seat with the knuckle of her wing, her Priest’s strain against her almost certain to leave a bruise in his shoulder. But he stayed silent and found himself eventually, face finally taking that flat calm that she knew he was capable of.

Her heart clenched with worry at the declaration.

It was bad enough to do it alone in her study at home with Leo, but to possibly have to listen to her father’s hate here in front of strangers?!

Paul’s hand on her right forelimb’s shoulder gently tapped out a familiar rhythm.

Jewel took a deep breath, the whistle of wind rushing from her nostrils to the back of her throat and down her neck to fill her chest. The shrill sound silenced any response that the others present might wish to make. When she was done she opened her eyes and met the three High Priests of the Pantheon.

“I will accept the performance of a ritual to try and draw up my father’s soul, so long as the Pantheon’s highest can assure it will bring no harm to his spirit.”

Her voice was even and calm, her face serene as it should be for the Countess of Viznove and the Shining Wyrm, but inside her flame roiled.

Among the three priests she saw open surprise from Ioannes and a softening towards appreciation on Evaristus’ face. Their third remained impassive although he still smelled amused.

And Peter Bulchava? The man’s eyes were shining as if he was seeing all his wishes come true that night.

Finally Ioannes spoke, his tone harsh, furious at the implication.

“Of course It Won’t.”