Meeting of Nations
by Jason Heaps
In Mirabalpur
In the chamber that is the heart of Mir sit four people. The huge windows are closed and wards have been placed around the room. In the center of the room sits a huge desk. In front of the desk sits three people and behind it sits another person.
The three in front are dressed according to their political party. The Oldest looking of the three is dressed in the black robes of the more tradinal Older Sorcerers. He is called Dioya. He is the fourth most powerful person on Mir. The younger person next to him is dressed in the red robes of the Younger Sorcerers. This is Nioratosa, the leader of the Younger Sorcerers. He is also the Eldest Son of Archmage Eubratosa. The third and prettiest is Riacrada. Dressed in the white robes of the Sorceress she is the oldest in the room (evan though she does not look a day over twenty five.) Riacrada is descended from one of the few noble families left on the island. (Her family allied with the Sorcerers at the time of the revolt.) She was the first Sorceress to ever be except to the Brotherhood of Mir and she is also the leader of The Sorceress. She is also the second most powerful person on Mir. And behind the desk in blue robes only worn by one person Mir is the the greatest Sorcerer in the world, The Archmage of Mir.
"Why do people have to incites on fighting their neighbors?" Riacrada ask the air as she looks at the reports before her.
"Their is at least one place were the fighting has decreased a little." Nioratosa comments to her.
"Were is that?" Riacrada asks
"The city of Burcany has united all of East Torphan." Nioratosa says.
"I am glad their is some good news." Dioya comments.
"What is it?" Nioratosa asks with a shy.
"Well the news from Aryisa is not good." Dioya tells them. Nioratosa and Riacrada look at each other and say "War." at the same time. "As if it would be anything else." Dioya comments.
"If Arysia conquers the rest of the Razan Nations they proble will turn them into slaves." Riacrada says.
"Not slaves just surfs." Dioya corrects her.
"I would be fascinated at your explanation of the difference between serfdom and slavery." Riacrada comments with loads of Sarcasm.
"At least Arysia proble won't do to the Razans what the Videssia are doing the Onagir." adds Nioratosa, "I estimate that at the rate that the Videssia killing the Onagir their will not be an Onagir left in ten years."
"And the plague that has hit that region proble is not helping any." Riacrada tells them.
"Maybe we should send someone to Videssia and tell them to stop killing the Onagir." Dioya suggests. All of the sudden the Archmage begins to laugh. They all stop their conversation and looked at the Archmage. Dioya had a concerned look on his face. Nioratosa looked at his father waiting for an explanation. Riacrada had a look that yelled "MEN!"
"I personal don't think people suffering is something to laugh at." Dioya says. The Archmage becomes serious again.
"I was not laughing at that. You know the founder of Videssia." Archmage Eubratosa says.
"Yes Agatius Fossen." Nioratosa answers, "but what does that have to do with anything?"
"I have been going through the journals of the Archmages of Mir." Archmage Eubratosa says, "You have all heard of the exiled Archmage. The only Archmage in Mir's history to be removed and exiled."
"Yes, we were taught about him when we were apprentice Sorcerers." Dioya answered. "But his name has been forgotten."
"No it hasn't." Archmage Eubratosa says.
"What does this have to do with anything, father." Nioratosa asks.
"In the Journals of the Archmages of Mir it tells the name of that Archmage." Archmage Eubratosa pause then continues. "His name was Agatius Fossen."
"But Agatius Fossen outlawed magic in Videssia." A stunned Nioratosa says. The thought that an Archmage of Mir even an exiled one would found a nation were magic was forbidden. It was untithinkable. "Do the people of Videssia know that he was once the Archmage of Mir?"
"I don't think so. The legends I have heard about him in Videssia state that he came from the south. I personal think that he did not tell the people so that they would not riot agents the government he had established, but as you see we could not just go to Videssia and ask them to stop killing the Onagir. If we are going to help the Onagir we will have to find a different way to do it, but this would be a discussion that the council would have to face." Archmage Eubratosa's tone is one of finality. Riacrada looks at the report in her lap.
"Because of Annaeyena's continued presans over Myr-Kun the people are rioting agents the Government." Riacrada reads then looks up.
"This would be a perfect to to bring are wayward brothers back into the fold." Dioya suggests. Nioratosa and Riacrada give him a withing look.
"I don't know about bring them back into the fold but defiantly a perfect opportunity to make friends with them." Archmage Eubratosa comments as he looks out the window.
"Their is also the fact that the Shanari are heading towards Myr-Kun." Riacrada says, "Which is part of the prophecy."
"I think that the Prophecy was not an actual Prophecy relating directly to Alatta." Dioya says.
"We know it is a prophecy, but I agree I think that the Oracle just sort of garbed something and spat it out." Nioratosa responds.
"That's one way to put it." Riacrada looks at Nioratosa and shacks her head.
"I always did have a way with words." Nioratosa grins at Riacrada. "But I think we need to get into the Oracle again."
"Luckily we have the Priest this time." Riacrada response.
"Yes, but evan though they know how to work the Oracle the High Priest of the Oracle could get us a more accurate Prophecy." Nioratosa responds.
"We will have to make due with what we have." Riacrada says.
"Yes, Yes, but their is one other thing we MUST cover." Dioya shifts in the chair which was designed to make the person siting in it uncomfortable. It was working. "We need to talk about the fact that are great leader here has invited the Eerith to the Meeting of Nations. All of us know that the Eerith will use this opportunity to turn the other nations agents us." All eyes turn to Archmage Eubratosa. He looks them straight in the eye.
"That is why we offer them something so juicy that they would have no reason to turn the nations agents us. Something so juicy that turning the nations agents us would be to their disavatege" Both of the Sorcerers lift their eyes in suprise.
"And what is that?" Nioratosa asks. Archmage Eubratosa turns towards Riacrada. Nioratosa understands his father's respect for this woman and is not hurt by the fact that his father choose to confide in this woman.
"We set them free." Riacrada says. Nioratosa eyes open wide in suprise until he understanding and then he grins at his father and Riacrada. Dioya's reaction is something total different. He first starts at the Archmage and then at Riacrada to see if they are serious. When he understands they are he starts to sputter.
"Free those spirits are you two crazy." Dioya yells. Then Archmage Eubratosa looks at Dioya. The look was one of challenge. Dioya did not take the challenge. He then meekly said, "That is unless you plan to make them slaves again."
"No we will not make them slaves. We will just ask them for help. As for being crazy. Maybe, but they our only hope." Archmage Eubratosa leans back in his chair and looks at the three people before him. "Somewhere on this continent Alatta has a disciple. Someone we do not know about. For all we know he could be one of are own brothers or sisters. He could be from Myr-Kun, Cedonia, Celapar, Videssia or any ware. We do not know, but we must find out and eliminate him."
"Father I don't think he would have come from Videssia." Nioratosa says
"Agatius Fossen swore as he stood before the assembly of the Sorcerers of Mir that one day he or one of his descendants would get revenge on Mir." Eubratosa comments "Never exclude someone from the list of possibilities just because they don't do magic."
"Archmage Eubratosa I just realized that if their is a disciple out their he must know that the Oracle could give him away." Riacrada comments. They all look at her with a confused look, but then understanding dawned in their eyes.
"He may have put a spell over the Oracle." Dioya says.
"And not evan the High Priest of the Oracle could remove it." Nioratosa finished.
"Their is an artifact that could. The Golden Mirror." Archmage Eubratosa says
"But that Artifact is lost." Dioya says.
"No not lost just very well hidden." Riacrada says.
"That is were the Eerith would become valuable." Archmage Eubratosa says. All of them look at him with a blank face. He smiles at them and continues, "The Eerith can cover more ground than us, and if they get close to Golden Mirror they should be able to sense it. That is if we evan go look for it." He stands up and goes over to the window. "We could always ask them if they can remove the spells on the Oracle." Understanding dawns in their faces. "That is why we need their help."
***
Mir had choosen her path.