Status: Complete
Shadow of the Fire
Spreading the Word
Octobras 13, 210t
“Father, why will the Devin Kingdom visit?” Amy asked her father.
“I don’t know, sweetheart,” John Fields answered as he held his little daughter in his arms.
“Maybe they will be asking for war,” Joseph muttered from the chair he sat on.
John sighed. “My son, it is beyond me why you must always think such grim thoughts,” he said as he put his one arm around his wife’s shoulders, still holding Amy in the other.
“The Alexandre’s have never paid a visit before. What could possibly be so important now that they would have to come all the way down here personally?”
“You have never been to war, my son. Stop wishing for it.”
“Neither have you.”
“Aye, and I wish to never see the day.”
John Fields had used to live as a simple blacksmith, until one day when he had gotten accused of a murder he had not committed. He had been put on trial for a month, because nobody had been able to find any leads to prove him guilty, but then also no tracks of any other suspects. His trial had ended with no final say of his innocence, but instead of letting him return to his life, the king had forced him to become a warrior for the kingdom. John Fields now lived with his wife, Sarah Fields, and their two children. His son, Joseph Fields, was a twenty-one-year-old soldier; and his daughter, Amy Fields, was only seven years of age.
When noon came, John and his son put on their Imperial armors and headed to the castle grounds. There they assembled with the rest of the city’s guards and soldiers to be assigned their stations. John was grouped with those to guard the court hall itself, while Joseph was assigned with the platoon to stay by the castle gate.
John stood still on his post and watched as the court began filling up with people. First, the noble families came in wearing their finest clothes, and then the king’s court advisors appeared. Everybody in the large courtroom was anxious to know what the Devin Kingdom was visiting for. There were soft murmurs and conversations amongst the residents and amongst the advisors, while the guards stood quietly.
The court was silenced when the Thalin children descended the western staircase. Felain, Cicero, and Thalia Thalin took their seats respectively to the left of their father’s golden throne. Not long after, the king, Thesius Thalin, and his queen, Lanaya Thalin, walked down the eastern staircase together. Thesius took his place on the golden throne, and to his right sat Lanaya; and thus the House Thalin was fully present.
“Oy,” the guard beside John whispered as softly as possible. “I recognize you. Aren’t you that blacksmith who got put to trial?”
“Aye,” John answered. “But that was more than twenty years ago.”
“Would you mind if I asked you what that was about? I really never understood that case.”
“Well, there were five librarians and one guard who were found murdered, their throats slit, by the farther shore of Great Lake. All they found at the scene were signature daggers crafted by me, and no other traces, and so they took me as a suspect.”
“So whoever killed them must’ve been very skilled assassins, yeah?”
“Aye.”
The guards who stood by the entrance pulled open the large double-doors and revealed a parade of at least fifty people. The Devinian guards and officers followed behind Lord Herod Alexandre, Lady Helen Alexandre, and their son, Matthew Alexandre, down the great hall. When the three arrived at the foot of the throne’s platform, Herod greeted, “my king,” as he put his fist to his chest and knelt on one knee. His wife and son followed, then so did the rest of the Devinians.
Two servants from behind the lord’s family stood up and walked up the platform, each carrying a bottle of Cloudtop wine. They both laid down their gifts at the king’s feet as they bowed. When the servants returned to their places, they all stood back up. “My king, these bottles of the finest Cloudtop wine are not my only gifts,” Herod said. Another servant took out a green book from his satchel and handed it to his lord. “I bring before you the Book of Truth.”
The king couldn’t help but chuckle. “Lord Alexandre, you came all the way down here to bring me a mere book?” The court responded with soft laughter. “But because you did, it must be very significant.”
“Oh, it is, my king!” Herod walked up the platform and knelt in front of the king as he handed over the book. “Please, read it.”
Thesius signaled Herod to rise while he started to flip through the pages. “The Book of Truth?” he read. “What exactly is this, Lord Herod?”
“It’s a book of the true history of the universe, of our country, and written-down visions of the future.”
“And you want me to believe in all of this?”
“Aye, my king, for it is the truth. All the people of Cloudtop have already accepted it.”
“And exactly who is God?” the king asked as he read the word.
“He is our creator. He made everything in the universe, and He controls all in it.”
“So what exactly do you want me to do with this belief of yours?”
“Religion, my good king.”
“What is this Religion you speak of?”
“Religion, my king, is the organization of our beliefs. I come before you today to propose that you pass on Religion as a law. Everyone must turn into a Believer.”
“That is quite the request, Lord Herod,” Thesius said, sensing the confidence in his voice.
“Read on, my king. I am certain you will see the light as you read the words of God.”
“Lord Herod,” Thesius said as he closed the book and stood up. “Thank you for these gifts you have bestowed upon us.” He put his hand on Herod’s shoulder and smiled. “Tonight, we shall feast. You may leave in the mornings to come. I’m afraid I will need time before I can pass this Religion as a Polymian law.”
“Could I maybe hear an exact date, my king?”
“If I do not declare it a law on the morning of Octobras 27, then it means that I would not have approved.”
“Two weeks from now,” Herod muttered in a disappointed tone.
“Worry not, my friend, for I see greatness in your Religion. I need only time. Await the 27th of Octobras. Now, tell me more about this Religion of yours as we dine tonight.”
“Father, why will the Devin Kingdom visit?” Amy asked her father.
“I don’t know, sweetheart,” John Fields answered as he held his little daughter in his arms.
“Maybe they will be asking for war,” Joseph muttered from the chair he sat on.
John sighed. “My son, it is beyond me why you must always think such grim thoughts,” he said as he put his one arm around his wife’s shoulders, still holding Amy in the other.
“The Alexandre’s have never paid a visit before. What could possibly be so important now that they would have to come all the way down here personally?”
“You have never been to war, my son. Stop wishing for it.”
“Neither have you.”
“Aye, and I wish to never see the day.”
John Fields had used to live as a simple blacksmith, until one day when he had gotten accused of a murder he had not committed. He had been put on trial for a month, because nobody had been able to find any leads to prove him guilty, but then also no tracks of any other suspects. His trial had ended with no final say of his innocence, but instead of letting him return to his life, the king had forced him to become a warrior for the kingdom. John Fields now lived with his wife, Sarah Fields, and their two children. His son, Joseph Fields, was a twenty-one-year-old soldier; and his daughter, Amy Fields, was only seven years of age.
When noon came, John and his son put on their Imperial armors and headed to the castle grounds. There they assembled with the rest of the city’s guards and soldiers to be assigned their stations. John was grouped with those to guard the court hall itself, while Joseph was assigned with the platoon to stay by the castle gate.
John stood still on his post and watched as the court began filling up with people. First, the noble families came in wearing their finest clothes, and then the king’s court advisors appeared. Everybody in the large courtroom was anxious to know what the Devin Kingdom was visiting for. There were soft murmurs and conversations amongst the residents and amongst the advisors, while the guards stood quietly.
The court was silenced when the Thalin children descended the western staircase. Felain, Cicero, and Thalia Thalin took their seats respectively to the left of their father’s golden throne. Not long after, the king, Thesius Thalin, and his queen, Lanaya Thalin, walked down the eastern staircase together. Thesius took his place on the golden throne, and to his right sat Lanaya; and thus the House Thalin was fully present.
“Oy,” the guard beside John whispered as softly as possible. “I recognize you. Aren’t you that blacksmith who got put to trial?”
“Aye,” John answered. “But that was more than twenty years ago.”
“Would you mind if I asked you what that was about? I really never understood that case.”
“Well, there were five librarians and one guard who were found murdered, their throats slit, by the farther shore of Great Lake. All they found at the scene were signature daggers crafted by me, and no other traces, and so they took me as a suspect.”
“So whoever killed them must’ve been very skilled assassins, yeah?”
“Aye.”
The guards who stood by the entrance pulled open the large double-doors and revealed a parade of at least fifty people. The Devinian guards and officers followed behind Lord Herod Alexandre, Lady Helen Alexandre, and their son, Matthew Alexandre, down the great hall. When the three arrived at the foot of the throne’s platform, Herod greeted, “my king,” as he put his fist to his chest and knelt on one knee. His wife and son followed, then so did the rest of the Devinians.
Two servants from behind the lord’s family stood up and walked up the platform, each carrying a bottle of Cloudtop wine. They both laid down their gifts at the king’s feet as they bowed. When the servants returned to their places, they all stood back up. “My king, these bottles of the finest Cloudtop wine are not my only gifts,” Herod said. Another servant took out a green book from his satchel and handed it to his lord. “I bring before you the Book of Truth.”
The king couldn’t help but chuckle. “Lord Alexandre, you came all the way down here to bring me a mere book?” The court responded with soft laughter. “But because you did, it must be very significant.”
“Oh, it is, my king!” Herod walked up the platform and knelt in front of the king as he handed over the book. “Please, read it.”
Thesius signaled Herod to rise while he started to flip through the pages. “The Book of Truth?” he read. “What exactly is this, Lord Herod?”
“It’s a book of the true history of the universe, of our country, and written-down visions of the future.”
“And you want me to believe in all of this?”
“Aye, my king, for it is the truth. All the people of Cloudtop have already accepted it.”
“And exactly who is God?” the king asked as he read the word.
“He is our creator. He made everything in the universe, and He controls all in it.”
“So what exactly do you want me to do with this belief of yours?”
“Religion, my good king.”
“What is this Religion you speak of?”
“Religion, my king, is the organization of our beliefs. I come before you today to propose that you pass on Religion as a law. Everyone must turn into a Believer.”
“That is quite the request, Lord Herod,” Thesius said, sensing the confidence in his voice.
“Read on, my king. I am certain you will see the light as you read the words of God.”
“Lord Herod,” Thesius said as he closed the book and stood up. “Thank you for these gifts you have bestowed upon us.” He put his hand on Herod’s shoulder and smiled. “Tonight, we shall feast. You may leave in the mornings to come. I’m afraid I will need time before I can pass this Religion as a Polymian law.”
“Could I maybe hear an exact date, my king?”
“If I do not declare it a law on the morning of Octobras 27, then it means that I would not have approved.”
“Two weeks from now,” Herod muttered in a disappointed tone.
“Worry not, my friend, for I see greatness in your Religion. I need only time. Await the 27th of Octobras. Now, tell me more about this Religion of yours as we dine tonight.”