Meeting of Nations
by Jason Heaps

 

Part 2

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, but he does not have the experisons"

"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 Miracradsa and given to the Monarchy. 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.