Part XCVII: Ambassador
Date: Kornun 29th, 114 A.U.
Melor slowly walked past the Noon-Stone and past the hall of thrones toward the white gates of the Watcher. The room was empty as Melor stepped forward, preparing himself to do the unthinkable—to trespass into sacred ground in order to find out what happened to the Watcher. Slowly, Melor put a hand on the doors and opened them. Brilliant light filled his eyes and he stepped inside.
Melor blinked. This hadn’t been what he expected. He stood on a roadway that cycled down into some central chamber. All around him was a black void, although the white stones glowed. Melor turned to see the doors behind him. According to popular folktale and sayings, the place of the Watcher was supposed to be ethereal. Melor had expected his body to be destroyed upon entering, but it still lived.
And that troubled Melor.
Slowly, Melor walked down the road, which cycled down in a spiral first around empty space, and then curled into the cylinder chamber. An arch marked the way in, and Melor entered. Lights lit up as he entered the hallway, which curled around the outside of the cylinder. Writing could be seen on the wall as well as drawings which Melor slowly read as he passed through before he realized what it was. The Prophecies of Xavier. There was the whole prophesy at first, the prophesy about the Priest-King, and then other prophecies that Melor had never seen nor heard of before. He paused, searching through his vault of memory but came up void about these other prophecies—the Prophecy of the Healer, the Prophesy of the Warrior. When had Xavier written these? Melor was troubled, but he continued going down the descending hall until the inside wall opened up and Melor could step in and see the chamber that he was in. Ornate carvings detailed on the walls—scenes of famous events in Arquenian history. Melor would have stayed and gazed at the drawings for hours on end, but he had work to do. Moving down the hall, now a balcony that curled around the outer edge of the cylinder, Melor finally came down to the bottom to see what was there. In the center of the chamber stood a circular stone. Seven indented regions circled a swirling blue void in the center of the stone, although Melor couldn’t figure out what the regions were for. Melor looked around, and, seeing nothing, slowly placed one hand against the void.
Who are you? All of Melor’s senses went black as Melor found himself in nothingness, a voice speaking to him.
I am Melor, representative of the auggers! Melor cried. I have come in search of the Sixth Watcher.
There was a pause before the being again spoke. What do you want with me?
I have come to ask for your guidance and aid, Melor replied. For centuries we have come to you for help but have received no answer. And so I have come to discover why you have remained silent and if you would be willing to help us. After millennia of working perfectly, the Noon-Stone has begun to decay, the beam not hitting at the right place and so we have begun to worry about the fate of our planet. Might you help us, O Sixth Watcher?
There was silence before the Sixth Watcher spoke. You should not have come here.
I apologize profusely for treading on your sacred ground, Melor replied. But we had no other choice given your silence. Nevertheless, I cry out for pardon.
You cry out in vain, Melor of the auggers. I know why the Noon-Stone has broken. I am the cause for it and by my edict the Noon-Beam is signaling your coming destruction. All your pleas to me will come in vain. I have already chosen my vessel to herald the coming of a new age. And you are not part of it. Burning pain exploded through Melor’s mind as Melor cried out in blackness. And then his consciousness slowly faded from reality.
Kapton 6th, 114 A.U.
“It has been seven days, and Melor has not returned,” Grandine said solemnly. “Because he has not returned, although I do accept that time might indeed flow differently in the habitation of the Sixth Watcher, we cannot wait any longer. The Noon-Beam has continued to fluctuate and so we must accomplish the second stage of our plan by sending an augger to the mainland of Arquenia to learn what has happened and find an answer for the changing Noon-Beam.”
“I agree,” Yarvil said solemnly. “Whether by committing sacrilege, or by discovering that the Sixth Watcher is no more and there is to be no more escape from that place, Melor has not returned, and we cannot wait any longer for him. We must indeed find an augger strong, brave, wise, and talented to go to the mainland of Arquenia and discover what the other races have done there since they rejected this place.”
“Do we have any nominations, then, for which augger might best fit this task?” Grandine asked.
“I nominate Ranvier,” Tragun, keeper of the Noon-Stone, replied. “Coming from a rich lineage of auggers before him, Ranvier has delved into his memory enough to be wiser than most, although he doesn’t delve into it as deeply as some like Yarvil have. He has shown himself to be brave and strong in the encounter with the Seabeasts, and has a determined heart that will stick true to the task.”
“Are there any other nominations?” Grandine asked. Silence fell over the room. “We shall bring this matter to a vote then. All for Ranvier being our nomination to the Arquenian mainland?”
“Aye!” a chorus of voices shouted.
“And opposed?” There was silence.
“The motion passes,” Grandine announced. “Ranvier will be our ambassador to the Arquenian mainland. And may he discover the secret of the Noon-Beam.”
Question of the Day: What will Ranvier first do upon arriving at the homeland of Arquenia?
Date: Kornun 29th, 114 A.U.
Melor slowly walked past the Noon-Stone and past the hall of thrones toward the white gates of the Watcher. The room was empty as Melor stepped forward, preparing himself to do the unthinkable—to trespass into sacred ground in order to find out what happened to the Watcher. Slowly, Melor put a hand on the doors and opened them. Brilliant light filled his eyes and he stepped inside.
Melor blinked. This hadn’t been what he expected. He stood on a roadway that cycled down into some central chamber. All around him was a black void, although the white stones glowed. Melor turned to see the doors behind him. According to popular folktale and sayings, the place of the Watcher was supposed to be ethereal. Melor had expected his body to be destroyed upon entering, but it still lived.
And that troubled Melor.
Slowly, Melor walked down the road, which cycled down in a spiral first around empty space, and then curled into the cylinder chamber. An arch marked the way in, and Melor entered. Lights lit up as he entered the hallway, which curled around the outside of the cylinder. Writing could be seen on the wall as well as drawings which Melor slowly read as he passed through before he realized what it was. The Prophecies of Xavier. There was the whole prophesy at first, the prophesy about the Priest-King, and then other prophecies that Melor had never seen nor heard of before. He paused, searching through his vault of memory but came up void about these other prophecies—the Prophecy of the Healer, the Prophesy of the Warrior. When had Xavier written these? Melor was troubled, but he continued going down the descending hall until the inside wall opened up and Melor could step in and see the chamber that he was in. Ornate carvings detailed on the walls—scenes of famous events in Arquenian history. Melor would have stayed and gazed at the drawings for hours on end, but he had work to do. Moving down the hall, now a balcony that curled around the outer edge of the cylinder, Melor finally came down to the bottom to see what was there. In the center of the chamber stood a circular stone. Seven indented regions circled a swirling blue void in the center of the stone, although Melor couldn’t figure out what the regions were for. Melor looked around, and, seeing nothing, slowly placed one hand against the void.
Who are you? All of Melor’s senses went black as Melor found himself in nothingness, a voice speaking to him.
I am Melor, representative of the auggers! Melor cried. I have come in search of the Sixth Watcher.
There was a pause before the being again spoke. What do you want with me?
I have come to ask for your guidance and aid, Melor replied. For centuries we have come to you for help but have received no answer. And so I have come to discover why you have remained silent and if you would be willing to help us. After millennia of working perfectly, the Noon-Stone has begun to decay, the beam not hitting at the right place and so we have begun to worry about the fate of our planet. Might you help us, O Sixth Watcher?
There was silence before the Sixth Watcher spoke. You should not have come here.
I apologize profusely for treading on your sacred ground, Melor replied. But we had no other choice given your silence. Nevertheless, I cry out for pardon.
You cry out in vain, Melor of the auggers. I know why the Noon-Stone has broken. I am the cause for it and by my edict the Noon-Beam is signaling your coming destruction. All your pleas to me will come in vain. I have already chosen my vessel to herald the coming of a new age. And you are not part of it. Burning pain exploded through Melor’s mind as Melor cried out in blackness. And then his consciousness slowly faded from reality.
Kapton 6th, 114 A.U.
“It has been seven days, and Melor has not returned,” Grandine said solemnly. “Because he has not returned, although I do accept that time might indeed flow differently in the habitation of the Sixth Watcher, we cannot wait any longer. The Noon-Beam has continued to fluctuate and so we must accomplish the second stage of our plan by sending an augger to the mainland of Arquenia to learn what has happened and find an answer for the changing Noon-Beam.”
“I agree,” Yarvil said solemnly. “Whether by committing sacrilege, or by discovering that the Sixth Watcher is no more and there is to be no more escape from that place, Melor has not returned, and we cannot wait any longer for him. We must indeed find an augger strong, brave, wise, and talented to go to the mainland of Arquenia and discover what the other races have done there since they rejected this place.”
“Do we have any nominations, then, for which augger might best fit this task?” Grandine asked.
“I nominate Ranvier,” Tragun, keeper of the Noon-Stone, replied. “Coming from a rich lineage of auggers before him, Ranvier has delved into his memory enough to be wiser than most, although he doesn’t delve into it as deeply as some like Yarvil have. He has shown himself to be brave and strong in the encounter with the Seabeasts, and has a determined heart that will stick true to the task.”
“Are there any other nominations?” Grandine asked. Silence fell over the room. “We shall bring this matter to a vote then. All for Ranvier being our nomination to the Arquenian mainland?”
“Aye!” a chorus of voices shouted.
“And opposed?” There was silence.
“The motion passes,” Grandine announced. “Ranvier will be our ambassador to the Arquenian mainland. And may he discover the secret of the Noon-Beam.”
Question of the Day: What will Ranvier first do upon arriving at the homeland of Arquenia?
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