Part 16 of the story... so, for those curious, I am currently writing Book II (yes, book II) of the Arquenia Saga. My current long-term plot of it is to either finish this book at the end of this calendar year or after the first semester of school (depending on how long it takes for the plots to get where I want them to be to end part one), and then to have Book III from then until summer. Then, during summer break, I plan on writing Book I of the Arquenia Saga, which is about Jaigran and the first Astrid and the stuff that led up to the Great Upheaval. I then plan on writing Books IV and V of the Arquenia Saga next school year in my last year of high school. So that's my current thought process... comments?
Part XVI: The Priest-King
Date: Amanela 17th, 114 A.U.
Jroldin felt a bit awkward as he watched Brother Pietre and Brother Tomas continue to stare at his glowing circlet.
Finally, Brother Pietre scratched his chin. “Well,” he said. “It does not appear like there are very many options open to us if we look to the prophecies.”
“And yet it seems like it ought to,” Brother Tomas grumbled. “I mean: the circlet symbolizing the king, the jewel symbolizing the priest…”
“Aye, the Priest-King,” Brother Pietre said. “Jroldin, are you sure you don’t believe in the Great One?”
“Yes,” Jroldin said, almost laughing. “I’m sure that I don’t.”
“Hmmm…” Brother PIetre said. “If I remember well, Trishkaya did have that odd prophesy of a man who would claim to be a priest who would seek the crown and kill many to become the king.”
“Except that whats-his-faces’ elf lord already fulfilled that prophesy,” Brother Tomas said.
“Maybe it isn’t in the prophesies!” Jroldin said, a bit exasperated. He didn’t understand why all priests had to think that everything that happened had to do with a prophesy.
“Yes, I suppose not…” Brother Tomas said. “Except that the circlet screamed Priest-King to me… there are other options, I suppose.”
“Perhaps we should take a survey,” Brother Pietre said. “See what the differences are between who can see it and who cannot.” Jroldin closed his eyes. As much
as he wanted to know why the circlet was on his head, he wasn’t too sure if he liked this option…
“Hello! What’s your name!”
“Do you see a circlet on his head? No? Nevermind then…”
“Do you believe in the Great One?”
“Have you ever met Jroldin before?”
Jroldin was quite relieved to go back in the Great Cathedral after interviewing random people for an hour. They returned to Brother Thomas’ quarters.
“Well,” Brother PIetre said, ruffling through the notes. “There does seem to be a rather clear theme in them… Except for the old man who seemed quite insane, there was a general trend that, except for you Jroldin, anyone who believed in the Great One, and only them, could see your circlet.”
“Priest King,” Brother Tomas immediately interjected.
“If I may,” Jroldin butted in. “You keep talking about it but I have no idea what it is—what is this Priest-King?”
“Well, I’m hoping that it’s you,” Brother Pietre said. “The Prophet Xavier, who gave his famous prophesy that is recited each Remembrance ceremony, made a prophesy about a specific member of the party, who is generally known as the Priest-King. Although the specific wording of the prophesy has been lost today, the general theme of it is still remembered. Basically, in the prophesy that he gave, he mentioned that one anonymous figure would carry the Old Weapons…”
Jroldin partially tuned out as Brother Pietre talked on and on and on about this prophesy and that one. At one point even Brother Tomas looked a bit bored.
“… But anyways, as I was saying, the Priest-King is basically a priest who will bear the old weapons who will have such a leadership to be known as the Priest-King. I explained the other things that Xavier said about him.”
Jroldin breathed a sigh of relief to know that it was over. “I’m not the Priest-King,” he said. “I don’t believe in Xavier’s prophesy, I think it’s stupid, I don’t believe in the Great One, and I definitely am not going to become a priest.”
“Pity…” Brother Tomas murmured. “Jroldin, if I may ask, why do you not believe in the Great One?”
Jroldin knew that this question had been coming. “Why should I?” he asked.
“Because of the records,” Brother Tomas said. “From about to around two thousand years ago, many historical documents that are generally trustworthy have spoken of very frequent communication between the High Priests and the Great One. Even after that communication mysteriously stopped, some still gave prophesies from the Great One, many of which have come true, like the one about the priestly elf lord who became king that Brother Pietre briefly touched on in his speech.” Jroldin thought that he faintly remembered Brother Pietre saying something about that.
“Furthermore, the Great One offers life and hope to us here on earth, life and hope that we cannot attain of ourselves,” Brother Tomas said. “I mean, what do you believe happens after death, Jroldin?” He started to drink more from his glass before realizing that it was empty.
“I dunno…” Jroldin said. “I guess we die and then… nothing.”
“Rather saddening outlook, is it not?” Brother Tomas asked. “That after life there is nothing? Doesn’t seem to be much meaning in that.”
Jroldin shrugged. “Fine. I believe in the Great One,” he said. “What should I do now?”
Brother Tomas looked a bit startled. “Well, I suppose you could pray to the Great One, if you actually believe…”
“I’ll do that later,” Jroldin said. “Let’s talk about this prophesy. What exactly am I supposed to do if I’m a Priest-King?”
“Don’t you remember?” Brother Pietre asked. “You will be the union of the king and priest for Xavier’s Prophesied Team. You would have a certain measure of authority, though indeed balanced out by the leader of the Team, the Sla’ad-”
“Wait, so I’d be this king-person,” Jroldin said. “But there’d still be a different leader?”
The two priests exchanged glances. “I’m not sure how it would exactly play out,” Brother Tomas said. “But yes… Some have suggested that the term king really refers to the destiny of the Priest-King after the Team destroys the growing evil… but yes, that is how the prophesy goes.”
Jroldin stood up. “I’ll think about it,” he said. “I’ll come back tomorrow.” And as the two priests watched, Jroldin walked out the door.
Question of the Week: If you were in charge of the story (which you're not, so don't get any ideas! :P) what would you have happen to Jroldin?
Part XVI: The Priest-King
Date: Amanela 17th, 114 A.U.
Jroldin felt a bit awkward as he watched Brother Pietre and Brother Tomas continue to stare at his glowing circlet.
Finally, Brother Pietre scratched his chin. “Well,” he said. “It does not appear like there are very many options open to us if we look to the prophecies.”
“And yet it seems like it ought to,” Brother Tomas grumbled. “I mean: the circlet symbolizing the king, the jewel symbolizing the priest…”
“Aye, the Priest-King,” Brother Pietre said. “Jroldin, are you sure you don’t believe in the Great One?”
“Yes,” Jroldin said, almost laughing. “I’m sure that I don’t.”
“Hmmm…” Brother PIetre said. “If I remember well, Trishkaya did have that odd prophesy of a man who would claim to be a priest who would seek the crown and kill many to become the king.”
“Except that whats-his-faces’ elf lord already fulfilled that prophesy,” Brother Tomas said.
“Maybe it isn’t in the prophesies!” Jroldin said, a bit exasperated. He didn’t understand why all priests had to think that everything that happened had to do with a prophesy.
“Yes, I suppose not…” Brother Tomas said. “Except that the circlet screamed Priest-King to me… there are other options, I suppose.”
“Perhaps we should take a survey,” Brother Pietre said. “See what the differences are between who can see it and who cannot.” Jroldin closed his eyes. As much
as he wanted to know why the circlet was on his head, he wasn’t too sure if he liked this option…
“Hello! What’s your name!”
“Do you see a circlet on his head? No? Nevermind then…”
“Do you believe in the Great One?”
“Have you ever met Jroldin before?”
Jroldin was quite relieved to go back in the Great Cathedral after interviewing random people for an hour. They returned to Brother Thomas’ quarters.
“Well,” Brother PIetre said, ruffling through the notes. “There does seem to be a rather clear theme in them… Except for the old man who seemed quite insane, there was a general trend that, except for you Jroldin, anyone who believed in the Great One, and only them, could see your circlet.”
“Priest King,” Brother Tomas immediately interjected.
“If I may,” Jroldin butted in. “You keep talking about it but I have no idea what it is—what is this Priest-King?”
“Well, I’m hoping that it’s you,” Brother Pietre said. “The Prophet Xavier, who gave his famous prophesy that is recited each Remembrance ceremony, made a prophesy about a specific member of the party, who is generally known as the Priest-King. Although the specific wording of the prophesy has been lost today, the general theme of it is still remembered. Basically, in the prophesy that he gave, he mentioned that one anonymous figure would carry the Old Weapons…”
Jroldin partially tuned out as Brother Pietre talked on and on and on about this prophesy and that one. At one point even Brother Tomas looked a bit bored.
“… But anyways, as I was saying, the Priest-King is basically a priest who will bear the old weapons who will have such a leadership to be known as the Priest-King. I explained the other things that Xavier said about him.”
Jroldin breathed a sigh of relief to know that it was over. “I’m not the Priest-King,” he said. “I don’t believe in Xavier’s prophesy, I think it’s stupid, I don’t believe in the Great One, and I definitely am not going to become a priest.”
“Pity…” Brother Tomas murmured. “Jroldin, if I may ask, why do you not believe in the Great One?”
Jroldin knew that this question had been coming. “Why should I?” he asked.
“Because of the records,” Brother Tomas said. “From about to around two thousand years ago, many historical documents that are generally trustworthy have spoken of very frequent communication between the High Priests and the Great One. Even after that communication mysteriously stopped, some still gave prophesies from the Great One, many of which have come true, like the one about the priestly elf lord who became king that Brother Pietre briefly touched on in his speech.” Jroldin thought that he faintly remembered Brother Pietre saying something about that.
“Furthermore, the Great One offers life and hope to us here on earth, life and hope that we cannot attain of ourselves,” Brother Tomas said. “I mean, what do you believe happens after death, Jroldin?” He started to drink more from his glass before realizing that it was empty.
“I dunno…” Jroldin said. “I guess we die and then… nothing.”
“Rather saddening outlook, is it not?” Brother Tomas asked. “That after life there is nothing? Doesn’t seem to be much meaning in that.”
Jroldin shrugged. “Fine. I believe in the Great One,” he said. “What should I do now?”
Brother Tomas looked a bit startled. “Well, I suppose you could pray to the Great One, if you actually believe…”
“I’ll do that later,” Jroldin said. “Let’s talk about this prophesy. What exactly am I supposed to do if I’m a Priest-King?”
“Don’t you remember?” Brother Pietre asked. “You will be the union of the king and priest for Xavier’s Prophesied Team. You would have a certain measure of authority, though indeed balanced out by the leader of the Team, the Sla’ad-”
“Wait, so I’d be this king-person,” Jroldin said. “But there’d still be a different leader?”
The two priests exchanged glances. “I’m not sure how it would exactly play out,” Brother Tomas said. “But yes… Some have suggested that the term king really refers to the destiny of the Priest-King after the Team destroys the growing evil… but yes, that is how the prophesy goes.”
Jroldin stood up. “I’ll think about it,” he said. “I’ll come back tomorrow.” And as the two priests watched, Jroldin walked out the door.
Question of the Week: If you were in charge of the story (which you're not, so don't get any ideas! :P) what would you have happen to Jroldin?
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