Nerluce and Lyana arrived at the banquet later than most people. In Nerluce's defense, it was Lyana's fault. She was the one who was supposed to get Nerluce - who'd been on the field, going through some basic motions Taayir had first taught them when learning physical magick. In Lyana's defense, she'd fallen asleep. Nerluce was the one who was supposed to wake her up if she ever fell asleep.
The fault fell on both parties.
But, to be clear, they weren't late. They'd scrambled to put on their formal robes and wash their faces - forget having time to comb their hair - but they weren't late. Just... a bit later than most people.
Regardless, they made it with plenty of time before the official ceremony started, where the new Serpahs would be recognized. Last year, Nerluce had been more focused on the food than the ceremony, but this year he was a bit better acquainted with those being made into Seraphs. There was a total of ten in all. Two from fire, four from earth, one from water, and three from air. They were gathering at the table in the front of the hall.
And Nerluce and Lyana had at least beaten a couple of them.
They were too late, however, to pick the topic of conversation, which Nerluce generally would steer away from anything that would cause major conflict. However, by the time he got there, it had already devolved into his least favorite subject: politics.
Poltics were... boring to Nerluce. He never felt like they affected him so he never paid them much attention. He was neither heir to the Hebikoti Clan nor planning to pursue a position as an advisor in the Empress's Court, so there really was no reason to study politics. Besides their general dullness, Nerluce also found they brought out the worst and most bitter arguments in people, especially hot-tempered fire Affinity students.
"-not as bad," Corbett was saying to Eko. "All things considered Riedith could have gotten off a lot worse."
"Yes but it still was Dumore's fault," Eko said. "They should be held responsible."
"Not at the sake of crashing their economy!"
Lyana frowned and Nerluce realized this was going to become a battle between homelands. It happened less these days - Ethera kind of beat it out of you - but it still happened. "Are you talking about Dumore's invasion of Riedith?" Lyana asked.
Corbett huffed, realizing a real opponent had arrived. "Yes."
"Which one?"
This seemed to upset Corbett, though Nerluce didn't know why. He tried wracking his brain for Dumore and Riedith's relationship but he just knew that the two hated one another. In fact, most of the seven kingdoms hated one another, so that didn't really clear things up. Nerluce did know that Dumore had invaded everyone a long time ago. And then it tried to do it again, more recently only to have the shit kicked out of it.
"You know which one," Corbett said. "Because that was not an invasion. Your king asked our king for assistance with the barbarian problem."
"You're right," Lyana said, crossing her arms. "That was genocide."
Nerluce clasped his hands together, silencing Corbett's response - whatever it may have been but certainly doing nothing to diffuse the situation. "I am awful at history so anyone care to explain what lovely event we're discussing tonight. 'Cause whatever it is, I feel like I don't have enough alcohol in my cup to understand it."
Both Lyana and Corbett scoffed, seeming upset with Nerluce for whatever reason, but less like they were going to bite one another for it.
Tragically, Eko offered Nerluce an answer to a question he really didn't want an answer for. "We were discussing how Dumore's fall was caused by their last military campaign last century but now we're talking about how Dumore sent several thousand swords to assist in the slaughter of the Horse Clans."
That... that would definitely upset Lyana. And Corbett, considering how prideful he was of his stupid country. "I see," Nerluce said.
"It was... a tragedy," Eko continued. "No one really knows how many people died but the estimated number of deaths is over ten thousand." They paused for a moment, thinking, before continuing on. "The only thing that could outdo it would probably be... the Burnings of Socosab."
"What's Socosab?" Nerluce asked.
That brought an eery silence to the table. Nerluce wasn't exactly sure what he'd said but it had clearly been wrong. Was... Socosab someone important he was just forgetting? The name sounded Tilician so maybe he'd just never been taught. Itorohian tutors rarely covered anything Tilician outside of how Itoroh's victories over Tilica.
Nerluce looked down, shifting from side to side. The silence hung longer. Did that mean they expected Nerluce was making a joke? Or perhaps they didn't know how to respond? His ears grew warm as steps came closer from behind him.
"Socosab isn't a person, but a place," a smooth voice said, like water from a cold mountain stream running down Nerluce's back. He turned and instantly smiled. Aristide had come to save him once again. Was he what brought the uncomfortable silence? Nerluce knew he was hard for the other disciples to talk to.
"Oh," Nerluce said. "Sorry."
"Don't apologize," Aristide said. "The Burnings of Socosab isn't talked about in Itoroh." Aristide turned his head to the rest of the table. "Nerluce isn't being cruel."
That seemed to release a breath of tension.
"Why would I be cruel?" Nerluce said.
Aristide shook his head as if to say he didn't know either before turning and continuing his walk past their table. He was probably going to his place by the High Priestess's side or maybe to get Kierli. She had yet to make her appearance.
But once he was out of earshot, Lyana exhaled heavily. "I thought you were going to die."
"Why?" Nerluce asked.
"Why?" Corbett echoed. "Because Socosab is a Tilician city - or it was - and Head Disciple Aristide is very Tilician. I was half expecting him to skewer you!"
"Well, what is this Burnings of Socosab thing?" Nerluce asked, throwing up his hands. "And why do you all seem to know of it but I don't?"
"Socosab was a major northern Tilican city," Hamelin said, deep voice bringing their conversation to a halt. "Itoroh burned it." He looked up at Nerluce, lips curled downwards. "Death counts range between twenty thousand and over a hundred thousand."
"That's horrible," Nerluce said.
Everyone nodded their agreement.
However, there was something that Nerluce couldn't quite get straight. "I know..." he started and then cleared his throat, "I know my country had done a lot of bad things in the past." He looked down at his plate. "Everyone's country pretends to have never done anything wrong but it's... ignorant to buy into that." He looked up. "But I've never defended Itoroh's actions before, so why would I be doing so now? Why would it be cruel to ask what Socosab was?"
Hamelin offered a sad smile and Nerluce felt sick.
"Because," Eko said, realizing that Hamelin was finished speaking, "the first of the Burnings of Socosab only happened... twenty years ago. If even."
"What?"
"It's what started the war between Itoroh and Tilica," Corbett said, brows furrowed. "How didn't you know that? I know that and I'm from the other side of the continent."
"Because I thought the war started over some stupid trade agreement!" Nerluce protested, throwing his hands up. "Like Tilican officials killed some merchant."
"Well... I guess that's right," Eko said.
"That's like saying Dumore fought against the Horse Clans because the Horse Clans were causing issues with trade!" Corbett exclaimed in a shocking moment of reflection on his own country. "Yeah, they were and that's the line we used, but everyone knows that it was because the Horse Clans were inconveniencing merchants."
"Tilican officials did kill a merchant," Eko said. "And in response, Itoroh slaughtered an entire city. Socosab was only returned to Tilica like... four- five years ago." They frowned. "Head Disciple Aristide played a major role in the decisive battle. He was famous on both sides, called the Angel of Death."
Corbett nodded. "There are cults that worship him, you know."
"That's not true," Lyana said.
"How would you know?" Corbett asked. "Have you ever been to the Itoroh-Tilica border?"
"Have you?"
Nerluce waved his hands. "I haven't even been to the border," he said. "I'm still wrapping my head around the fact this happened! And that Itoroh kept the land for so long! There's no... logical reason for any of it!"
"Itoroh wanted land," Eko said. "Tilica has land." They shrugged as if it was as simple as that. "I'm still wrapping my head around the fact you don't know about it. You are related to General Hebikoti, right?"
"She's my sister," Nerluce said.
"Well, she was also the one who Head Disciple Aristide fought against for Socosab," Eko said, their frown deepening even further. "General Hebikoti is a legend. I admire her. It's said this was her only defeat. And even then... it wasn't a complete defeat because she burned the entire city to ash as she retreated. There's nothing left of Socosab but char."
"I- I-" Nerluce stumbled through a response, trying to figure out what to do with this new information. Trying to figure out how he was supposed to see his sister.
He couldn't make sense of anything.
Thankfully, he didn't have to. Because the world couldn't fall apart in just one way. As Nerluce struggled to realine his view of his sister and the country he'd been at war with his whole life yet completely unaware of the true tragedy of the situation, a scream split the air.
The banquet hall had been buzzing with chatter and the mood was light but that all came to an end when the High Priestess let out a cry that was so loud and filled with such anguish that it would haunt Nerluce until the end of his days. The High Priestess's white eyes were blown wide as she stumbled forward, grasping for something that none of them could see.
"My baby..." she said. Her voice wasn't particularly loud but the room was dead silent so it carried. "My baby! They took her! They took Kierli!"
And with that, she promptly fainted.
And with that, the entire room went spiraling into insanity.
[curator's notes]
hehehe cliffy
but not to worry because i will be releasing daily updates
(sometimes even twice daily so make sure you're double-checking which chapter you click on from now on hehe)