The rebirth of the Alliance and how the Royal Scepter was stolen from Mirith.
As the old documents accumulated chaotically on the table, so were Cassandra's thoughts jumping from one name to another, one era to the next, back and forth, without any apparent order or coherence. A drawing of a troll and a giant feasting over the corpse of a fighter brought to her memory a recent conversation with Kwesyther. It had taken place not that long before, during a long day of tailoring.
"I can't forget Tim the Trader," uttered Kwesyther, with a long sigh. Cassandra raised her eyes from the leather hides. It was clear that she ignored who Tim the Trader was. "When the scepter was taken," he continued," It was, hm, what moon exactly? I think fighting. The day when the Alliance was reborn."
"I don't know much about that day. Apart from the fact that the Alliance was reborn at some point."
"Well, we were tricked. That day, a certain Tim came to Mirith. A trader of sorts. His deals were wonderful."
"A medium protection ring for a hug?" she asked jokingly.
"A medium protection ring for a ring of lightning."
"Woah! And you say you were tricked."
"Well, the ring has served me well so far," he shrugged.
"What was its real cost?"
"The royal scepter. He led us onto a wild goose chase."
"Wonderful deal indeed."
"Some chest in the woods. Our greed did the rest." Kwesyther paused for a second, to pass a new thread through the eye of the needle. "In the end, he led us to Welif. It was an ambush," blue! How much he liked that blue thread! "Trolls and Giants pured forth. The Alliance, reborn."
"And you were all trapped."
"Yes. Most died. I escaped at the very last moment."
"What an honour, to see the rebirth of that... How did it end up?"
"The ambush was just a ruse. The real ambush was in Mirith. While we were outside, they stormed the city. Ciddia and Nafets did their best."
"They didn't take the town, did they?"
"Well, they couldn't hope to hold it, of course. But it was just enough to steal the royal scepter."
The royal scepter. There was something Cassandra never thought she would care about. In truth, apart from its historical value, she did not feel any sympathy whatsoever with royalty. That was actually a long discussion between her and her fellow wizard. "The king is ugly," she said once, trying to put an end to an argument. "Do you think I am ugly? I represent the King." Another time, in Aborek, they had had a similar discussion. "The difference is that I don't resent Vaup, and you resent Galandir!" She did not exactly resent Galandir. She just found him... weak, to say the least.
"What is that scepter for? Just a symbol?"
"Well, apart from being valuable, it is the symbol of reign over Mirith."
"Not that serious, then," she winked, "we can live without symbols."
"Hmrpf. When a new king is appointed, the scepter will decide whether it is the right one."
"You know what I mean. A symbol less is not equal to a living hostage. Do you believe the scepter has such powers?"
"The scepter is said to descend from the Goddess herself. Legend has that it will glow when the rightful prince becomes king. By virtue of the Goddess' approval."
"Ahem... You are a scientist, spare me!" Cassandra was getting irritated. Certainly the result of a long season in Mirith. "You don't believe in those old wives' tales, do you? The Goddess?"
"As long as I didn't see it glowing myself..."
Cassandra grinned. He seemed to have kept some of his old sense. Or not.
"The Goddess of Life."
"Who?"
"The statue in front of the bank. The statue, exactly. The being it represents."
"That you have never met."
"Vaup bases her legitimacy on having killed the previous commander, I suppose. The King legitimates his reign by the Goddess," Kwesyther shrugged, cutting down the discussion." In any case, the Twins have the scepter now."
"The Twins have it?
"That's what the attack was all about."
"Does that mean anything else than..."
"Judging from their letters..."
"... Mirithians won't know what to do if the King dies?"
"... they intend to imbue it with power. That as well."
"And make it a useful object."
"His legitimacy is questioned, after all."
"By whom?"
"No one, so far. But since the scepter is part of the tradition..."
"Was Galandir appointed by the scepter?" Kwesyther nodded. "Then we must find the twins before Galandir is senile!"
"May His Grace lead a long and healthy life. But yes."
The rebirth of the Alliance. Cassandra noted down some key informations on a loose paper. Then placed it under a pile of other loose notes. "Marali should give a course in general History to all the applicants to the Vanguard," she thought to herself, trying to blame some higher and nameless structure for her own ignorance.
"I can't forget Tim the Trader," uttered Kwesyther, with a long sigh. Cassandra raised her eyes from the leather hides. It was clear that she ignored who Tim the Trader was. "When the scepter was taken," he continued," It was, hm, what moon exactly? I think fighting. The day when the Alliance was reborn."
"I don't know much about that day. Apart from the fact that the Alliance was reborn at some point."
"Well, we were tricked. That day, a certain Tim came to Mirith. A trader of sorts. His deals were wonderful."
"A medium protection ring for a hug?" she asked jokingly.
"A medium protection ring for a ring of lightning."
"Woah! And you say you were tricked."
"Well, the ring has served me well so far," he shrugged.
"What was its real cost?"
"The royal scepter. He led us onto a wild goose chase."
"Wonderful deal indeed."
"Some chest in the woods. Our greed did the rest." Kwesyther paused for a second, to pass a new thread through the eye of the needle. "In the end, he led us to Welif. It was an ambush," blue! How much he liked that blue thread! "Trolls and Giants pured forth. The Alliance, reborn."
"And you were all trapped."
"Yes. Most died. I escaped at the very last moment."
"What an honour, to see the rebirth of that... How did it end up?"
"The ambush was just a ruse. The real ambush was in Mirith. While we were outside, they stormed the city. Ciddia and Nafets did their best."
"They didn't take the town, did they?"
"Well, they couldn't hope to hold it, of course. But it was just enough to steal the royal scepter."
The royal scepter. There was something Cassandra never thought she would care about. In truth, apart from its historical value, she did not feel any sympathy whatsoever with royalty. That was actually a long discussion between her and her fellow wizard. "The king is ugly," she said once, trying to put an end to an argument. "Do you think I am ugly? I represent the King." Another time, in Aborek, they had had a similar discussion. "The difference is that I don't resent Vaup, and you resent Galandir!" She did not exactly resent Galandir. She just found him... weak, to say the least.
"What is that scepter for? Just a symbol?"
"Well, apart from being valuable, it is the symbol of reign over Mirith."
"Not that serious, then," she winked, "we can live without symbols."
"Hmrpf. When a new king is appointed, the scepter will decide whether it is the right one."
"You know what I mean. A symbol less is not equal to a living hostage. Do you believe the scepter has such powers?"
"The scepter is said to descend from the Goddess herself. Legend has that it will glow when the rightful prince becomes king. By virtue of the Goddess' approval."
"Ahem... You are a scientist, spare me!" Cassandra was getting irritated. Certainly the result of a long season in Mirith. "You don't believe in those old wives' tales, do you? The Goddess?"
"As long as I didn't see it glowing myself..."
Cassandra grinned. He seemed to have kept some of his old sense. Or not.
"The Goddess of Life."
"Who?"
"The statue in front of the bank. The statue, exactly. The being it represents."
"That you have never met."
"Vaup bases her legitimacy on having killed the previous commander, I suppose. The King legitimates his reign by the Goddess," Kwesyther shrugged, cutting down the discussion." In any case, the Twins have the scepter now."
"The Twins have it?
"That's what the attack was all about."
"Does that mean anything else than..."
"Judging from their letters..."
"... Mirithians won't know what to do if the King dies?"
"... they intend to imbue it with power. That as well."
"And make it a useful object."
"His legitimacy is questioned, after all."
"By whom?"
"No one, so far. But since the scepter is part of the tradition..."
"Was Galandir appointed by the scepter?" Kwesyther nodded. "Then we must find the twins before Galandir is senile!"
"May His Grace lead a long and healthy life. But yes."
The rebirth of the Alliance. Cassandra noted down some key informations on a loose paper. Then placed it under a pile of other loose notes. "Marali should give a course in general History to all the applicants to the Vanguard," she thought to herself, trying to blame some higher and nameless structure for her own ignorance.
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