ALDIR
"Aldir, it isn't that simple. Orchestrating something of this magnitude isn't just about putting pieces on black or white on a board. It's playing on multiple boards with only a couple of pieces," father advises. We've been discussing our future moves regarding the upcoming rebellion, but we've yet to receive confirmation from the Aerind, Avignis, or Eccleiah Clans.
"I'm aware, Father, but this isn't something we can afford to take this slow. Time is of the essence. We're mere days out from the turn of the year. We're mere days out from when Kezess plans to turn the world into ash," I urge.
He turns to his long-distance communication artifact before picking it up and fidgeting with it.
"Son, I want you to know that you're the next leader of this clan. I know you're versed in war, but are you well-versed in politics? You can discern right from wrong, but you've yet to have to put yourself in these strenuous situations where your decisions are the new definition of morality. This can't become a fruitless rebellion. It must succeed. Lest Kezess turns his ire to us alone," he replies, standing and finally pushing mana into the artifact.
The artifact vibrates once, twice, and before the third time finishes, a supple and lithe voice reaches through the air and caresses the ears.
"Yes, Lord Thyestes? I'm quite busy at the moment," she asks.
"My apologies, Lady Aerind, but it's quite important. I'd like to request we meet. May I make my way to your estate so we can talk?" he almost begs. I've never seen my father approach a conversation this way, yet I know exactly why. It's simply the manner in which one must converse with Lady Aerind in order to draw her favor. Her pomposity knows no bounds.
"I suppose I could fit some time in there for you. Can you come today? I have some free time in a few hours I was going to use for a trip to Mt. Geolus springs if you'd like to join," she proposes.
I watch my father's gaze darken, emblematic of his disdain. My father hates water with a passion ever since it took my mother, and I suspect Lady Aerind knows that.
"I believe I can, Lady Aerind. I'll see you shortly then," he answers through nearly-gritted teeth.
"I look forward to it. Ciao!" the Sylph finishes before the artifact gives a soft hum.
"I can't stand that woman, Aldir. To think she'd make a mockery of me like that. I'm glad we have other options because your mother would roll in her grave should she see me bend the knee to that wretched egotist. I'd almost rather we forget her and label her a lost cause, but we need everything we can get," he groans as he sits back down. "Will you handle the other two meetings? I doubt I'll get the chance to leave Mt. Geolus at all today. You know how much Lady Aerind loves to talk."
I chortle slightly at my father's remark. "Yes, Father I can do that. Who do I need to visit?"
"You'll have to speak with both Lords Eccleiah and Avignis. I've already met with Lord Grandus and he's on board completely," he answers.
"Then I'll be on my way. Have the meetings been set up already?" I ask.
"They have, but Lady Aerind just took the time I was planning to meet them. You'll need to meet Lord Eccleiah in an hour and Lord Avignis at dusk at his estate. Can you handle that?" he asks.
"I can indeed, Father. Leave it to me," I answer with a bow.
"Good, now let me mentally prepare myself for my own meeting," he groans with a shooing motion toward me.
"Good luck," I wish before I take my leave.
As I trek through the Thyestes estate, I can't help but wonder what it is I'll have to say to the two clans to sway them.
The Eccleiah value little more than their own physical strength whereas the Avignis are simply looking to restore the Phoenixes to their former glory -whether that means the destruction of the Indraths or not.
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The Eccleiah live on the lush, tropical northern coast of Epheotus. It's a long trek through over a mile of jungle from the nearest teleport gate. Unlike most clans, the Eccleiah chose to have it separate from their residence as a privacy measure. I'm unsure as to why.
The large, resort-like estate spans a few square miles with various smaller compounds. The architecture consists of tightly bound thatch rooves that are raised by thin wooden posts. It evokes a primitive-adjacent ambiance but portrays its elegance in its exceptional craftsmanship. Each post is meticulously cut to create a seamless connection with the beam it supports. The striations in the wood match up without conflict, and the wooden floorboards lay perfectly flat as they rest above the jungle floor.
It's not only the craftsmanship that helps the Eccleiah differentiate themselves from savages, but also the scale. The central complex seems to defy logic as a sprawling eight-pointed star sits at the base and rises into the sky, losing a point at each subsequent level. From each point of a star at each level stretches a bridge connecting a distant structure be it fifty feet or half a mile away.
"Ah, Elder Aldir! I'd been notified that someone had arrived, but I was expecting your father," Lord Eccleiah calls out as he emerges from the colossal pavilion that is the base layer of the central complex.
"Yes, Lord Eccleiah, it is I. I was requested to come in my father's stead after Lady Aerind claimed the time he was meant to meet you," I reply as I carefully step through the damp earth. As I approach him, I extend a hand in greeting. "You know how that woman is."
"I know all too well, Aldir. Would you care to join me for tea?" he asks.
"Tea sounds... lovely," I answer as a servant approaches to guide us. We're led to the top floor of the central tower, an uncovered circular platform with elegant railings that overlooks the canopy of the jungle.
"It's not the first time I've been here, but it has been centuries," I remark as I reminisce.
"I remember it well. You and Zelyna would prance around through the jungle and eat the many varieties of fruits. That was when the Thyestes and Eccleiah were on the same side during the infighting. It was a time before you were forced to step into the shoes you now occupy, proprietor and wielder of the World-Eater technique," Lord Eccleiah recollects.
A subtle clacking of porcelain rings out as a piping hot teapot and two teacups are brought out on a pewter platter.
"It's your favorite, vestalberry tea," he explains.
Unbeknownst to him, vestalberries have left a sour taste in my mouth for centuries since that fated day.
"My favorite indeed," I lie.
He waves a hand to the pair of chairs as we both take a seat and a teacup. The servant fills them both with the steaming violet liquid as the aroma evokes memories of my adolescence. Memories of Zelyna and I climbing these very trees. Memories of laughter and childhood innocence, soon to be adulterated by the cruelties of war and violence.
"The songbirds continue to sing the same song even after all these years," I notice. Lord Eccleiah chuckles.
"No, Aldir, they don't. They haven't sung this way since you've been here last. I believe they recognize you," he explains.
"I see," I mutter to myself as a gentle smile quickly turned frown emerges on my face. "It's nice to hear it once again."
"Indeed. But now, Aldir. Let's get to why you're really here," the hulking leviathan bellows as his gaze turns stern and he places a now empty teacup back on the pewter platter. "What is it you need from us?"
I clear my throat before speaking. "We seek an offensive alliance. A mutual declaration of war. I can trust you can gather the target but allow me to give the reason."
"Please do," he replies, leaning back in his chair as it creaks under his weight.
I place down my own teacup after a single nostalgic, painful, and bitter sip. "Are you aware of how the Djinn were wiped from this planet?"
"I am. The dragons defeated them in a defensive war as the Djinn sought the power of the dragons," he answers.
"That answer couldn't be much further from the truth save the characters. Our Lord, Kezess Indrath declared war against the Djinn after they refused to betray their knowledge of aether to him. He sought their knowledge that they had no method of passing on. It wasn't in the dragons' blood to manipulate aether as the Djinn did. Time after time, the dragons would levy threats, yet the Djinn persisted. They had no way of bequeathing the knowledge. It wasn't that the dragons couldn't wield aether, just that they couldn't do nearly as much with it," I explain.
Lord Eccleiah's brow curves in confusion as a scowl forms on his face. "So what are you implying?"
"I'm implying that in an effort to monopolize aether usage and remove the sole stain on dragon reputation, their prowess in aether manipulation, Kezess removed the Djinn from existence. He removed the only ones better than him at the thing he was good at. They were a peaceful race yet to develop military applications for their magic. No Djinn had died from an aether-imbued attack before Kezess waged war," I answer.
Lord Eccleiah groans at the implications. "He slaughtered them. They didn't even try to defend themselves, did they?"
"Very few did. Only those who valued their heritage above all. Those with religious fervor to the aether they revered as their deity tried to any extent to continue Djinn's existence. It was futile. The average Djinn was many orders of magnitude weaker than the average dragon. It took less than a year before all that was left were the few hundred that retreated to the Relictombs," I explain.
"It's simply tyrannical. If he can do it to an entire race, what's to say that he wouldn't do it to a clan?" he ponders.
"He already has. Twice. The Asclepius fell victim at the hands of Kezess because Mordain challenged him. The same happened to Agrona when he discovered the truth. One was slain, the other exiled. It's the chief reason we find ourselves in this power struggle. It's Kezess' mess to clean up yet he chooses to send our young to die on his battlefields. My father and I won't stand for it. Will you stand with us and the Grandus?" I beseech.
"I will. We Eccleiah value loyalty to one person, me. It's because of my esteem of Kezess that we cooperated but with that trust, that confidence, all but gone, I'll assist you. In an effort to avenge Zelyna," he answers.
"Thank you, Lord Eccleiah," I reply, wishing to grovel at his feet if my station didn't prevent me from doing so. "I plan to begin during the joint operation at the dawn of the year. Let your two trusted know that we strike when 'The Dragons shall go alone.' That's the beginning of our rebellion," I finish as I rise to my feet and once more offer my hand.
Lord Eccleiah stands and clasps his hand with mine. "They'll go alone indeed."
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As I watch the sunset sink below the horizon on the western coast of Epheotus, the cool ocean breeze tousles my loosely-tied hair.
"Have the Thyestes come to propose something of great import?" a proud and dignified voice calls out from behind me. I turn to find the same blazing-red hair and scarlet eyes I was expecting.
"We have, Lord Avignis. Would you be so kind as to hear the pleas of an old man?" I ask, humbling myself.
"Oh, please, Aldir. I may be younger than you but it's by a negligible margin. Care to enlighten me on the subject matter?" he beckons.
"It's of dire import. I've come to ask for your allegiance. I suspect that you'll want to hear what I have to say," I answer.
"Then please explain," Lord Avignis states as he wades out a few feet into the water. His finely-tailored pants are now soaked with salty seawater.
"I know that Kezess ordered the genocide of the Djinn and the slaughter of the Asclepius clan was collateral when Mordain disagreed with it. It's because of Kezess', not Mordain's alleged, heinous actions that your people suffer as they do. The Dragon Lord was immensely jealous of the Djinn's talent regarding aether manipulation and influence, so he sought it for himself. He attempted to bargain with them, but it wasn't a lack of desire to share the information, the Dragons simply weren't capable of learning due to physiological constraints," I detail.
Lord Avignis turns his head back to me as a sole tear dribbles down his left cheek. "I know, Aldir. The Phoenixes have known the whole time. We knew, but we swore it to secrecy in fear that we'd meet the same fate as the Djinn and Asclepius."
I had suspected this was a possibility.
"Does it infuriate you? Does it stimulate your desire for revenge to know that it's not just the Avignis that know this but also the Thyestes and the Eccleiah?" I ask.
Lord Avignis' eyes widen slightly at the mention of other conspirators. "It infuriates me more than you can imagine. My fellow Phoenixes' feathers lie in the possession of Lord Indrath as a symbol of insubordination and its consequences. He has over a hundred of the most sacred items that a Phoenix could ever experience. Over a hundred of my kin cannot rest in peace and return to the flow of mana because their remnants are stored in a vault as part of Kezess' personal collection. I can't exactly name why it is you're here today, but if it will allow me to retrieve those sacred feathers and inter them so that the souls of my kin can return to the mana flow, then count us as part of this conspiracy."
"My father is orchestrating a rebellion. One seeking to depose the Indrath Clan and install the Thyestes at the head of Epheotus. It's a coup, yes, but I believe it's painfully obvious that my father cares more for the wellbeing of Epheotus and all asura than Kezess does," I reply.
"And what do you need from us?" he asks.
"We need your unwavering support on the battlefield and the politics that will result in Kezess and the Dragon's downfall. We intend to create havoc during the Vritra Elimination mission assigned to the task force at the turn of the year. Only allied fighters will walk away alive," I explain.
"Can you do it?" he asks once more.
"We can. Have faith in myself and Kordri. We're more than capable of handling Windsom and a second Dragon in a fight. The Dragons haven't seen legitimate combat in centuries. Their strategies are ancient and their skills are unhoned," I answer.
"Then the Avignis will follow you until the last of us falls. Should we perish to the fullest extent, please, recover those feathers. Bury them here on this shoreline. Allow my kin to return to the soil and become mana once more," he pleads.
"I swear my life on it, Lord Avignis. I'll see to it that they're interred in the event that your own are unable to do it themselves," I affirm. I offer my hand to seal the deal. His smooth hands are a mere facade for how much turmoil they've experienced. His grip is firm around my own, indicative of his resolve. "I have one last message for you and your clan. To your two representatives that will be part of the task force, let them know that the 'Dragons shall go alone.'"
"Go alone they will."