And, Finally, we arrived. Well, no wonder I say finally…After an endless navigation on the Stream, in the end we reached Cape Dawn, a prominent city full of life, art and history, where the shipments from Port Nole, via Haven, reach the Main Road, so that the merchandise starts its journey by caravan to Drassis the Beautiful, called The Wonder by many, a title as ancient as the place itself… but first things first. We stopped in Cape Dawn not even half of half of the time I would have liked to stay…I hoped to sleep, rest, entertain myself a bit and then go on with our “mission”, but my companion had other plans…I had just booked a decent room in a tavern, the White Boar, pretty nice and not too expensive, and I was already enjoying a restorating, long hot bath in my mind, when Cyrus came with two huge horses and a bag of rations and forced me on the road again. Destination? Drassis, of course. You see, since the Dark One escaped us, we didn’t even bother following him. Cyrus pointed out immediately that every attempt at pursuing him openly was bound to fail. So we gathered some data questioning Lord Osten’s servants and the local authorities for every “unusual” activity of my former employer in the last months, and we investigated the Manor, with our attention focused mainly on the basement with the hidden room that hosted the mysterious creature named Arctorios. After that, my new “employer” judged we had nothing more to do in Haven, and we left in a hurry for the capital.
In truth, we left for a particular place in Drassis, to meet a particular individual, which was the reason of my goose bumps… Actually, in normal circumstances I would be pretty happy to walk the streets of The Wonder, for more than one reason. First and foremost, it’s home. I was born in Blacklake, a village on the outskirts of the city, and I spent the best years of my youth enjoying the many pleasures and advantages the capital can offer. I’ve been gambling, drinking in taverns, attending shows in theaters, training and practicing combat in fighting schools, loving women and making friends there. Had the time of my life. Second, it’s a place I know like the back of my hand. When you’re in trouble, and I definitely was considering the circumstances, you gladly fall back in your environment. I knew every rock of the capital, from the Ancient Quarter to the Slums, where to walk and when, what to avoid, who to speak with to have things, who to trust… And third, who wouldn’t like such a city? Everything is within reach, on the streets you can meet every kind of people, and no one is ever out of place, or rejected by society… it gives you a huge feeling of freedom to stay there, and it’s something no one that steps through one of the main gates fails to notice.
But, and there lied the problem, we were not going to enjoy the city of splendors. Our destination was The Cathedral, the stronghold of the Order, and we were bound to report our progress to none less than the First Counsellor himself. You see, Edgar Havelock, also known as the Hand of Justice, is not quite the charmer, so to speak. Very few can claim to have had an occasion to take a good look at him. In the rare eventuality he’s spotted out of the fortress, he travels within a special carriage called The Silver Ark, dragged by four huge white horses that are chosen among the best in the realm. Yes, in the realm, for even our “good old” king Roderick Eysen bends to every Havelock’s will, since without the Order’s support he would lose the main pillar of his crown. Without the Order, there would BE no crown. It is said, that almost two thousand years ago, Edgar Havelock himself founded the Order and created the Kingdom, putting Balduran I Eysen on its throne and helping him defend his borders against occasional raids from orcs, goblins and worse. Now, those stories are regarded as fables, and the vast majority of people don’t really believe the founder of the order was Havelock himself, just one of his ancestors. And I would have agreed, some weeks ago, but now…
In addition, the nice Edgar is rather famous for his lack of tolerance and his iron fist in solving sensitive matters. Whoever doesn’t believe in God (I mean the Order’s own version of god) doesn’t live too long. Countless well known “heretics” or “personae non gratae” have been killed or simply made disappear, and all the opposition to the Order’s systems has been cancelled with repression or key assassinations of the leaders. For example, the ancient Cult of the Mother Land, worshipped by countless generations of families, mostly farmers, hunters and shepherds, has been drowned in blood throughout all the realm, his followers slaughtered, fled out of the borders in other states or hiding in the countryside, their devotion kept secret. In addition, magic in the Kingdom has become an exclusive of the Order. Whoever possesses magic, MUST advice a Black Cape or visit one of the outposts of the Order to be tested. If his or her gift is strong enough, he must take the vows and join the Order. The alternative is death, and the execution is immediate, without trials of sort. There are cases of witches or wizards found by agents during routine “inspections”. They’ve been burned to stakes in public squares for everyone to see. The monopoly of sorcery is, of course, a decisive measure which grants the Counsellor dead firm grip on the crown, reducing de facto the king to a puppet in his hands.
Of course, this approach brought even advantages to the people of the Kingdom. On one side, the Kingdom folks enjoy total peace since more than any man alive can recall: wars have been fought by our army to protect and aid allies, but never on our ground. That’s why the Order is a power feared even abroad, and a right fear it is. Not pleasant to see hundreds of knight wizards riding alongside your enemy, if you ask me… Then, there are matters of internal security: the level of criminality is wholly tolerable, trade and economy thrive and the succession of kings on the Golden Throne is totally insured by the magic and political weight of the Order, so that the realm never risks a dangerous and painful void of power like all too often happens in the other reigns. This is what made miracles like Drassis the Wonder possible: wealth and possibility of long term planning. All in all, it’s a situation you might even enjoy…if you manage not to mess with the Black Capes. Rather unfortunately, I didn’t manage.
The Cathedral, built at the very core of the Ancient Quarter, looks more like a fortress than a holy place. Six 40 meters high white stone walls about five meters deep form a perfect hexagon, with six fortified towers at the intersections. The main gate, totally made of dark steel, was lowered to allow us in, and closed immediately after we entered. We were welcomed by Brother Tarrin, a pretty small man wearing the black cape like Cyrus, but definitely less imposing a figure. He made way through the inner courtyard, where I noticed more fortifications and inner walls, till the central building, the actual residence of Edgar Havelock. The difference was striking. The core of the Cathedral was a stunning mix of colored glass, golden, silver and platinum mosaics, ebony doors and a stone so white it could rival the clouds in a beautiful summer day. The building was taller than large, reminding me more of a tower than a normal building, with its roof culminating in a tall spike, on top of which was the symbol of God: the silver sword with the tip planted into the ground, with a rising sun behind.
Tarrin guided us through a maze of rooms richly decorated, an orgy of velvet, leather of all kinds, mahogany, cedar, ebony and ivory, all illuminated by the unearthly light filtering through the colored glass panels and mosaics. After endless stairs, flight after flight, we reached a massive silver door with symbol of God chiseled in it. Tarrin pulled a golden chain, bowed to Cyrus and took his leave. It was time. Though I was pretty worried, excited and had expectations of all sorts, nothing could prepare me for what I saw as the door slowly opened...
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento