Chapter 1
High above on the top floor of the seventh tower, far above from the bustle of the six other towers noises could be heard in the Room of Aggressive Serenity.
Haaaarrrr!!! Smash!!! Thonk thonk thonk.
As the steady thud of wood on marble died away a man stood up from amidst the wreck of a wooden dummy. Labored breathing caused puffs of smoke to billow from his mouth. It was cold at the top of the seventh tower. It always was. Ever since he was old enough to learn he was always told it was cold outside. Unlike all the children who grew up in the Towers, Tal never believed it until his class took a field trip up to the top of his Orange tower where he first encountered snow.
It had been cold then but it was nothing compared to the bitterness of the Violet tower. The only person who went up there on a regular basis was Tal but on some days his great uncle Ebbit would visit, like today.
"Well done! Now we have firewood to heat our frozen bones," exclaimed Ebbit.
"Oh but Great Uncle what would people think of you if they saw you make a fire the primitive way?" replied Tal in a sarcastic tone.
"They'd think I was an Icecarl.or just an eccentric old man.or a man who has lost all his senses. "
Ebbit droned on and on. Great Uncle Ebbit had not always been quite normal. Everyone saw Ebbit to be senile but Tal knew better. Ebbit wasn't as insane as everyone saw him to be. Ebbit was as cunning as a man could be; he just never acted like one.
".Or maybe they'd think I was just plain cra."
"So what do I owe the rare pleasure of seeing you up here?" interrupted Tal.
"Huh? What? Oh.Oh yes I was having my breakfast of distilled cordial of Halo- flower and 2 cups of sweet water when Joral came by and asked for a game of Beastmaker."
"So what does a game of Beastmaker have to do with me?" asked Tal who was feeling irritable at the old man. Tal was tired from his training and Ebbit was draining the last bit of patience Tal had.
Although Tal knew interrupting Ebbit only made things worse and there was no use at getting mad at him so Tal just stood silently.
"Hang on boy let me finish.where was I? Oh yes Beastmaker.Joral and I agreed to a hundred games and we made our way to his new Beastmaker table. Apparently he found a former underfolk who makes them and the cards. You should see the new table it is really something."
Ebbit droned on like this for what seemed like an eternity. Tal just stood there silently breathing the Rovkir pattern for tranquility when he couldn't take anymore.
"Sorry Uncle but I have to go.I.um.got to go see someone." stammered Tal.
Tal moved away and headed for the long spiral walkway. The walkway was 4 stretches wide and had no railing so if anyone should fall they would have a long time to think about how they landed. It was a long way down and Tal was tired from the mornings training. Then he smiled to himself. Tal had an idea on how to escape the tiredness. It was a crazy idea spawned from fatigue but it would keep him awake for hours. He would weave a light rope and throw himself off the edge.
High above on the top floor of the seventh tower, far above from the bustle of the six other towers noises could be heard in the Room of Aggressive Serenity.
Haaaarrrr!!! Smash!!! Thonk thonk thonk.
As the steady thud of wood on marble died away a man stood up from amidst the wreck of a wooden dummy. Labored breathing caused puffs of smoke to billow from his mouth. It was cold at the top of the seventh tower. It always was. Ever since he was old enough to learn he was always told it was cold outside. Unlike all the children who grew up in the Towers, Tal never believed it until his class took a field trip up to the top of his Orange tower where he first encountered snow.
It had been cold then but it was nothing compared to the bitterness of the Violet tower. The only person who went up there on a regular basis was Tal but on some days his great uncle Ebbit would visit, like today.
"Well done! Now we have firewood to heat our frozen bones," exclaimed Ebbit.
"Oh but Great Uncle what would people think of you if they saw you make a fire the primitive way?" replied Tal in a sarcastic tone.
"They'd think I was an Icecarl.or just an eccentric old man.or a man who has lost all his senses. "
Ebbit droned on and on. Great Uncle Ebbit had not always been quite normal. Everyone saw Ebbit to be senile but Tal knew better. Ebbit wasn't as insane as everyone saw him to be. Ebbit was as cunning as a man could be; he just never acted like one.
".Or maybe they'd think I was just plain cra."
"So what do I owe the rare pleasure of seeing you up here?" interrupted Tal.
"Huh? What? Oh.Oh yes I was having my breakfast of distilled cordial of Halo- flower and 2 cups of sweet water when Joral came by and asked for a game of Beastmaker."
"So what does a game of Beastmaker have to do with me?" asked Tal who was feeling irritable at the old man. Tal was tired from his training and Ebbit was draining the last bit of patience Tal had.
Although Tal knew interrupting Ebbit only made things worse and there was no use at getting mad at him so Tal just stood silently.
"Hang on boy let me finish.where was I? Oh yes Beastmaker.Joral and I agreed to a hundred games and we made our way to his new Beastmaker table. Apparently he found a former underfolk who makes them and the cards. You should see the new table it is really something."
Ebbit droned on like this for what seemed like an eternity. Tal just stood there silently breathing the Rovkir pattern for tranquility when he couldn't take anymore.
"Sorry Uncle but I have to go.I.um.got to go see someone." stammered Tal.
Tal moved away and headed for the long spiral walkway. The walkway was 4 stretches wide and had no railing so if anyone should fall they would have a long time to think about how they landed. It was a long way down and Tal was tired from the mornings training. Then he smiled to himself. Tal had an idea on how to escape the tiredness. It was a crazy idea spawned from fatigue but it would keep him awake for hours. He would weave a light rope and throw himself off the edge.