The Emperor And The Temple Ch 24

It took two days for the Emperor's artillerymen to set up the huge whale guns, and no sooner than they had, Taneric unleashed the weapons he and Nikah had witnessed on the plain outside the City, the day Queen Zantina arrived. They caused great panic at first, lighting up the night sky and spreading flames across the enemy's forward positions. But the Emperor soon saw that they were operating at the limit of their range, with many falling short of his cannon. He had the whale guns moved back one hundred paces and, at last, the onslaught on the City walls began. The defences had been considered stout enough in an age of swords and arrows, but they were no match for the huge guns and within two days a large breach had been opened between the south and west towers. But this would not be enough for the Emperor. Since the destruction unleashed on the Hawks, he knew that the City had weapons well able to defend such a gap.

"Continue!" he ordered Hashmin. "Take down the entire southern wall!"

Hashmin reminded his master that this would take many days, and that the army grew ever weaker as food remained scarce. But he knew that if the City was to be taken then its defences must be razed so that the attacking army could at last benefit from its superiority in numbers. And in truth, some wagons were now arriving from Cana in the south, bringing supplies from Kartig; grain and massive balls for the whale guns.

On the ninth day of the bombardment, a messenger arrived from the East, bringing news that Casbur had been taken. But the Emperor's joy was short-lived as the full peril of Artur's position became clear to him. Finally, he sent for his daughter Kailyn, embracing her and holding her head in his hands as he spoke.

"Beloved daughter, I gave you the Eagles so you would have time to grow, to mature into the great leader I know you can be. But also so that you would be safe from harm, for what good is a horse legion in the siege of a city? But now I must send you away, into danger, and while it grieves me to do so, I believe that you are indeed ready."

Kailyn looked at her father's face in the dim candlelight, for it was night in the camp of the Emperor. Outside his campaign tent, the pounding of the whale guns never ceased. For the first time ever, she saw her father's age in the lines on his face, the greyness in his hair and in his demeanour as he slumped on a chair, wearily resting chin on knuckles. She stooped over him and lovingly took his face in her hands, kissing his forehead. She spoke softly to him with reassuring words, but she was unable to mask her excitement.

"East Papa? To Casbur?"

"To the Road of Lakes linking Casbur to the southern realm. The barbarian Princess Kasmine dominates the route. With just a small force she is able to prevent resupply of Artur's legion."

"I shall bring you that witch's head, father."

The Emperor sighed, "I do not want her head here on my rug, Kailyn! Send a messenger when you are done with her and her group of bandits."

He reached out and pulled Kailyn to him.

"What happened to my little girl? Do not answer! I know where I failed you; by allowing you to spend too much time with your Aunt. She would corrupt anyone!"

"You seemed dissatisfied with me before, Father! Thinking me soft. Taking my boys away from me. Is there no pleasing you?"

Ignoring the question, the Emperor replied, "Perhaps this is not the time, Kailyn, but I must soon teach you more about the ways of power. For the moment I instruct that once you have secured the Road of Lakes, you go to Artur in Casbur and serve him. Put the Eagles at his disposal and obey him until I come there. Take some time to learn from him!"

Kailyn scoffed, "I don't know why you place so much value on that foreigner, Father. He would betray you given half a chance! Beshara plans to make him an ornament in her bedchamber once he falls from your favour. Or after you are....."

She stopped in horror at the almost-spoken words and her hand went involuntarily to her mouth.

"Dead?" said the Emperor calmly. "The reaper comes to all men, daughter. It is something we should consider."

"But you are not unwell, Father!"

"Tired, Kailyn. So very tired. An affliction mere sleep cannot remedy."

****

That same night, not four thousand paces away, a knock sounded on the door of Priestess Ruta's chamber, almost drowned out by the crash of another great ball smashing into the southern wall of the City. And when she shouted out, inviting entry, it was Fris that came in, wet from a late summer storm that had brought torrential rain to the streets.

Without speaking, Ruta turned to a shelf and gathered the chess board and pieces, but Fris shook his head at her, instead removing his garments and going to the small altar of the Goddess that she maintained in her room. He sank naked to his knees before it and pressed his lips to the feet of the idol. Ruta moved to stand behind the boy, loosening the cord that held her robe about her body, allowing the silk to part at the front. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind, pressing her exposed breasts and abdomen against the kneeling boy's back, reaching down to caress his torso, cooing approvingly as his sex stiffened for her.

"So, you wish to make a Giving, Fris? I must say I am honoured that you would choose me to guide you in this service to the Goddess, but you should go to your day mistress, Fris. Priestess Shallie misses you greatly. Go to her Fris! She will take your Giving."

Fris closed his eyes and reclined his head, resting it on the priestess's breasts as she ran her fingers through his thick hair.

"You misunderstand, Mistress. It is Confession that I seek."

"Confession?" she replied in surprise. "Well, even so you must go to Shallie, she____"

"No! She is sensitive, Mistress. Already traumatised by the hatred and violence that has come to the walls of the City. I would not burden her further."

"And I am harder?"

"No, Mistress. Stronger though. Better able to cope. Did not the Old Queen send you to war, to witness the slaughter of an entire legion, to administer the Test of Ash to captured enemies, only to be taken yourself and____"

"Quiet Fris!" shouted Ruta, slapping him hard across the head. Then she held him to her again and he felt tears fall from her face to his shoulders. "Some things are better left unremembered."

"I am so sorry, Mistress. I shall never speak of it again."

Ruta kissed him in reassurance and nothing more was spoken for some moments until Fris heard her chuckle through the tears as she said, "Since when did boys of the Temple choose which Priestess would hear their confession? Not so long ago you would have been walked on a leash to your confessor's frame of repentance."

"It will be so again, Mistress."

"No, I do not think so Fris. But come, let us address your fears and regrets. Confess to me! You think you cannot save the City with your devices? That this vile Emperor will kill or enslave us all? This is not a reason for confession, Fris. How can the Goddess ask anything from you other than your love, obedience and the best of your efforts?"

Fris half turned his head in surprise as he replied to Ruta.

"You misunderstand me again, Mistress. I have never doubted that I will prevail."

He looked down at the altar and then said, as if to correct himself, "That we will prevail."

"Then what, Fris? What do you wish to tell me?"

"I cannot get the stench of burning flesh from my nostrils, Mistress! So many! Such suffering! And it must happen again, with different mechanisms next time. And perhaps again after that. How can I be welcomed into the Goddess's garden when the time comes?"

"And if you do not defend Her, Fris? If you do not defend us? Death and slavery is all that awaits. Have you not heard the stories of the Emperor's cruelty? Fris, your only sin is to protect those that you love!"

"I would wish the burden to fall on another."

"And yet only you can so quickly interpret the knowledge of the ancients. You have a special mind, a gift from the Goddess. Why do you think She bestowed this upon you? Stand up Archimedes! I shall hear no confession from you!"

Reluctantly, the boy stood and Ruta bade him come to the couch with her, to rest his head in her lap while she stroked his hair lovingly.

"Fris, the Goddess comes to me in my dreams, as she does to many priestesses."

"And these dreams have meaning?"

Ruta sighed, "Perhaps, Fris, and perhaps not. But listen, let me tell you of one dream I have had many times. It concerns you, Fris. The Goddess takes me by the hand and leads me into the City through the southern gate. But she tells me that one thousand years have passed since this day and I see that the City is much changed. There are silver and glass towers that rise endlessly into the sky, horseless wagons that travel silently from place to place, on the streets and even in the sky. Some go to other Cities and some even to other worlds beyond the sky, so the Goddess tells me."

Ruta looked down at Fris, wondering if he had drifted into sleep with his head resting on her thighs. But she saw that his eyes were open, and he was listening to her.

"This is the point where my sisters tell me I have had too much wine, or that I have been over exerting myself with vigorous Temple boys. But you, Fris, who has seen the books of the ancients; you show no surprise? Interesting. Perhaps you believe such fantasies are actually possible? Or you politely humour your Mistress. Either way I shall continue. Around the City are farms that produce plentiful food for the population and suf herb for the males. But no humans work in the fields or in the mines, or in quarries. Instead, there are artificial creatures, machines of some sort I suppose, Fris. And boys obey their lady owners and bring pleasure to them and are happy and fulfilled in their service, knowing that they also please the Goddess and will be rewarded by Her. And there is no war, no violence. Well, Fris? Still you do not raise your eyes in surprise? Even when I speak of mechanisms that can surpass the work of humans?"

"Mistress, you said this dream concerns me?"

"Patience Fris! A great wide avenue paved with crystal leads from the south gate to the central square, and along this route are colossal marble statues honouring heroes of the Temple. And you are there; Archimedes, Saviour of the City! That is your due, Fris."

Fris turned his head to look at Ruta, "Perhaps your sisters are right. Just the dreams of a loving priestess who is fond of her wine and her boys," he said. "And what of yourself, Mistress? Are you remembered in your City of the future?"

"Sadly not. And why should I be? But in the centre of the main square stands a pair of figures, taller than any buildings, higher even than this Temple of ours, even if it were ten times its size. And the smaller figure is Ashala. The 'founder of the New Temple' they call her, and in her hand she holds the open collar of the boy beside her, demonstrating that she has freed him from enslavement. And this boy they honour as...."

"What, Mistress? What do they call him?"

"Perhaps I have said too much Fris. It is only a silly dream."

"Tell me, please Mistress!"

She sighed, "They call him the boy who conquered the world in the name of the Goddess."

Fris chuckled and rose to his feet, "A pretty enough dream Mistress. I wish I could see such things when I close my eyes to sleep. But I will leave you now, with your permission, feeling better at ease than when I arrived."

"Go to Shallie, Fris. She will take a Giving from you. You know the strength of her needs. I am surprised she has not gnawed her way through the library shelves in frustration since our Temple boys were sent from us to the walls of the City."

As she spoke, Fris had dressed and he now stood by the door, ready to depart.

"It is good to see you smile, Fris," said Ruta.

As Fris opened the door he asked, "The statue: was it a good likeness of Tak?"

"Well Fris," she began to reply, "The colossus was of such size that its head was lost in the clouds but...."

The door closed behind Fris.

"But the name on the collar in Ashala's hand was not that of Prince Taneric," she finished, to the empty room.