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Da
“The third king had the domes plated with gold,” Achati continued. He shook his head. “A frivolous indulgence in what was a time of starvation, but they are so beautiful that nobody has ever removed them, and from time to time a king will see that they are cleaned and mended.”
The carriage began to slow and turn, and Da
Guards at either side of the entrance remained frozen, their gaze set on the distance. They weren’t slaves, Da
They passed through two open doors, then followed a wide corridor with no side entrances. At the end of this was a large room filled with columns. The floor and walls were polished stone. Their footsteps echoed as they walked. Toward the back of this room was a large stone chair, and in it sat an old man wearing the most elaborately decorated clothes Da
He doesn’t look comfortable, he noted. And he looks like he’d like to get off that throne at the first opportunity, too.
Men stood about the room, alone or in twos and threes. They watched silently as Da
The glance was a signal. Achati bowed deeply. Da
Lord Maron had explained that Sachakans felt that nothing less than the gesture considered most respectful by an individual – especially a foreigner – was what their king deserved. So the traditional Kyralian and Elyne obeisance to a king was the most appropriate, despite the fact that Sachakans did not kneel before their own king.
“Rise, Ambassador Da
Da
“It is an honour to meet you, King Amakira,” he replied.
“And a pleasure for me to meet the new Guild Ambassador at last.” The old man’s eyes were dark and unreadable, but the wrinkles around them deepened with a genuine smile. “Would you like to see more of the palace?”
“I would, your majesty,” Da
“Come with me and I’ll show you around.”
Ashaki Achati waved a hand to indicate that Da
“You have an interest in history, I have been told,” the king said, looking at Da
“Yes. I am writing a history of magic, your majesty.”
“A book! I would like to write a book one day. How close are you to finishing?”
Da
“What gaps are they?”
“According to the history taught in the Guild University, Imardin was levelled during the Sachakan War, but I’ve found no evidence of it. In fact, I have found some evidence to the contrary in Ashaki Itoki’s collection.”
“Of course it wasn’t levelled!” the king exclaimed, smiling. “We lost the final battle!”
Da
“There’s no mention of it in our records. Though… few Sachakans survived the last battle and even fewer returned home, so most of the information was gleaned from the Kyralians who conquered us. I guess they could have painted a better picture than the reality.” The king shrugged. “So where do you think this idea that the city was levelled came from?”
“Maps and buildings,” Da
“Then you should be looking at events from four hundred years ago,” the king concluded. “Was there any battle fought in the city at that time? Or a disaster such as a flood or fire?”
Da
“If this event was great enough to ruin a city it would have destroyed any records within the city as well.”
Da
“Perhaps those books had been moved.”
Da
“I am surprised Kyralian history is so muddled. But we have gaps in our history as well. Come in here.” The king ushered Da
“Something important once lay here,” the king said, ru
Da
“I’ve encountered a reference to an artefact taken from this palace,” Da
The king shrugged. “Well, that is what palace folklore says. Our records say nothing more than that something called a “storestone” was stolen by a Guild magician.” He drummed on the column top with both hands. “Not long after it was taken, the wastes appeared. Some believe that the removal of the talisman lifted some sort of magical protection over the land that had kept it fertile and productive.”
“Now that’s a new and interesting idea,” Da
The king’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, yes. Plenty have tried; all have failed. Even if we knew how to replace the protection that was removed, I suspect it is too big a task for a few magicians. It would take thousands.” He smiled wryly. “And Sachaka no longer has thousands of magicians to call upon. Even if we had, trying to unite magicians is like trying to prevent the sun rising or the tide’s ebb.”