Part II – Affliction
Chapter 11 : The Imperial Capital
The Fall of the Black Rose (alternative title – readers' choice)
Imperial City of Archades, 687 (o. V.)
The Mallicant had brought us to the gates of Archades, the capital that meant everything and nothing to me at the same time. Lush nature had given place to hollow caves and pervasive mist. Book, the chocobo, was following the creature, without a pause, without a glimpse of hesitation.
Mother was still unconscious in front of me, and I had myself become faint with hunger, cold and exhaustion, slowly graying out. How many hours did the trip last? One? Ten? More? I had lost all sense of time, and could only distinguish, far away in a clouded distance, the sweep of Archadian skyscrapers and crowded traffic.
'Where are we?'
'Mother!'
I wanted to hug her, I stretched my left arm towards her and she grabbed my hand languidly.
'Please hold firmly onto Book!' I screamed. 'We are on the way to… to…'
'To Archades.'
Mother clutched at Book's reins as I finally pulled back my right arm, which was holding her, towards me. I glanced at my hand: it was all red.
Suddenly, Mallicant stopped. We were in the midst of a sullen neighborhood, crowded with young people in tatters and filled with a whiff of cold ashes and excretion that soon made me nauseous.
'You, there! This is Archadian territory. No passage allowed for the outcast !'
An Imperial soldier was standing in front of the two beasts, barring us from entering a straight and empty path that lead to the skyscrapers.
'Especially not for chocobos', said another, emerging from a corner.
I was starting to panic.
'Mother! What do we do? The viera told me that this horse knew the path to the capital!'
'Then we shall trust this horse', she said as calmly as if we were in our house and Landis was in peace.
I mumbled in anger, completely powerless as the two imperials were approaching, with their spears ready to harm. In the meantime, Book was visibly panting, as if all the effort he had put to cross the border was showing up all of a sudden. But the voyage was not over…
'Hey! No! No horses allowed in Archades!'
At my great surprise, Mallicant let out a terrorizing neigh in the clammy weather of that Aries month, as the soldiers recoiled, completely astounded, before being violently shoved aside by the green fiend's tentacles.
'Now is our chance! Book!'
Mallicant immediately took off at full pelt in the empty road, but the chocobo was motionless.
With a coarse moan, one of the soldiers was standing up and searching for his weapon.
'Please… Book!'
But the chocobo kept still. As the soldier was approaching again, I took my decision.
'Move! Follow her!' I ordered, hitting the chocobo with both feet on his flanks. Little did I know that it was the first of a long series of acts I would regret later. But at that moment, I had no choice.
Book slipped away precisely at the moment both imperials were raising their spears.
'Good! Don't stop!'
Plodding left and right before managing to move forward, the chocobo eventually reached Mallicant's level as the horse was entering the city, leaving the soldiers' protests behind.
'We… We're finally here.'
'Yes… Mother.'
The giant buildings overlooked the large avenues and extravagant squares. In the background, a big arch stood in the center, just under the trail of the famous Sky Train, linking the capital with the industrial provinces of the Empire.
'Hey! Mallicant!'
But the horse didn't seem to slow down ; at full speed, she overtook several groups of rich-looking people – screaming with terror – before disappearing into the bright alleys of the city.
'To Rienna!' said Mother.
'To Rienna?' I repeated.
'Aye… Near the aerodrome…' she added, in a panting voice.
'Mother!'
But she turned to me with a faint smile. I understood and forced Book to turn left.
'Aaaaah! Mama! A chocobo!'
'What on Ivalice is a chocobo doing in our city?'
'What are the Judges doing?'
The rich-looking people were everywhere, gathering around us at a safe distance, and chatting ceaselessly.
'Where is Rienna located?'
The conversations suddenly stopped. No one was answering my question.
'By the gods, have you heard his accent?'
'Certainly a low-mannered beggar from the inlands!'
'I want to know the way to Rienna! The aerodrome!' I repeated, as loud as I could, as Mother was lowering her head, looking as frail as ever.
'The aerodrome is located straight ahead, and then on your left, but…' said a man with a hat.
I did not need more words. Hitting the chocobo's side once more, we forced the onlookers to move aside as we departed to the shown direction. Indeed, the busy building was standing there, with the airships' noisy flows and ebbs and the rubbernecks' constant lingering.
'This building!' Mother said, pointing at an old construction in the street.
'What shall we do?' I asked, my heart still filled with irrepressible panic and doubts.
'Ask… for… Thembeka… Third… fl…'
'That's enough, Mother. I will take charge of things.'
Take charge of what? I was as bewildered as ever and I had no idea what to do in that dismal town. Thembeka? That had to be the name of someone. Was she in the building? Then I had to enter.
I dismounted Book and quickly found a small hidden area that looked like a lumber room, at the building's entrance. There, I attached the chocobo to a pole, took the bags in one hand and passed my other arm under my mother's shoulder.
'Can you walk?'
'Aye… Thembeka… Please…'
We entered the building's hall, which surprisingly had a good smell. After the ultimate difficulty of climbing the three floors, I found two doors and was about to knock on the one on the right.
'Left… door…' Mother said, briefly pulling my shirt behind my neck.
I nodded and knocked. The seconds separating us from the answer lasted an eternity.
'Who's there?'
My mother hawked and uttered loudly – almost proudly: 'Linda. Linda Gabranth!'
The door immediately opened to a plump woman, visibly in her fifties.
'Lin… No… That cannot be…'
Mother was about to answer but a dreadful cough came out of her mouth instead.
'Please let us in', I said. 'My mother is sick.'
'Your…'
Thembeka took a serious face and helped me carry the bags, and Mother, inside.
'I am alone today', she explained as she helped my mother lie down on a rudimentary, but comfortable-looking sofa.
'Linda? Linda Gabranth? Is it really you?' she asked, turning her back to me, my mother's head between her chubby hands.
Mother nodded, as the woman was visibly recognizing the blond hair and witty eyes.
'I have heard of what happened in Landis. But to see you here… alive! Oh I am so relieved… Gods know what could have happened to you since you left your family! Yes, I am relieved to see you here. And with a son!' Thembeka added, finally noticing my existence. 'What's your name?'
And without warning, my mother stood up, as if she had never been sick, grabbed hold of Thembeka's collar, and pushed her to the wall, saying the torturing words I would never forget:
'My son is Gabranth. Gabranth, you hear! He shall have no other name. And his only nationality is Archadian. He is from House Gabranth, who lived on the fourth floor of this Rienna building eighteen years ago. Is that clear, Thembeka?'
Why? Why, Mother?
'Y… Yes! Please calm down, Lindiwe.'
Thembeka slowly regained control of the situation as Mother stepped back, coughing again.
'I am happy to meet you… Gabranth.'
I nodded, unable to speak, unable to think after what Mother had said. What about her pride to be a Landisite? Where was Linda fon Ronsenburg, the blithe farmer at Uwielbinie Village and friend to everyone – the one who was so happy in Landis with her two sons that she never wanted to leave?
Without answers, I had to help Thembeka arrange the fourth-floor apartment, opened with the key my mother had put in one of the bags. It was a small place with two rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. One of the rooms had a bed – we helped Mother take place there, and Thembeka brought food for us as well as a sack of money.
'There is enough gil for you to survive the next days', she said. 'I will speak to my husband tonight and let him know of the situation so we can give you more, shall you need it.'
I thanked her and we became alone, Mother and I, in the almost bare fourth-floor apartment of an old Rienna building.
It took me days to get used to living in Archades – and I still could not believe it. How could we pretend to live normally in a rich-people's place, hidden in a corner of Ivalice, while all my friends and my whole country had died in silence? I did not dare to ask Mother about any of my doubts, as her health did not improve the next days. I found an item shop that sold potions and Gysahl greens, which I gave to Mother and Book respectively. Whenever I was outside, people were looking at me in a peculiar way, as if it was written on my forehead that I was from Landis. I bought local clothes to try to diminish the effect, but I could still feel eyes on me everywhere.
I took great precaution in managing the money – the very first time I had to. In addition to food supplies and items from the shop, the clothes were the only deviation I did – including some I bought for Mother. My mother's health was declining with every day passing, but she refused to see a doctor – frightened at the idea that someone could discover where we were from. I thought of getting a job in the city, but her answer was the same:
'You are not fit for a job, my son. Not here. Not now.'
Her words threw pikes in my heart. That time was visibly the last time I could endure it.
'But we cannot rely on Thembeka's money forever! There is certainly something I can do in Archades. I'll find a way to earn much gil, you'll see it soon! Why don't you trust me?'
'I trust you, my son, but it is too dangerous to find a living in this merciless capital. We shall speak of this matter later.'
'Later, later… But it is now that I'm suffering! You never listen to me and my feelings!'
And I slammed the door, boiling with frustration, lost in doubt.
I walked straight until I left the neighborhood where we were living, Rienna, to enter Nilbasse. There, after a few shops and mean looks here and there, I found a quiet square where I often thought I should stop. I sat on one of the steps at the edge and let out a big sigh. I wished I had other landscapes to look at than the never-ending squabbles of the petty Archadians parading their garments, jewelry, makeup or gadgets. Some of them were taking a peep at me, especially the younger ones walking with implacable-looking parents, but I could not care less. The hell with the Archadians and their insentient life! That world of false shine and pretense was not for me. I would never become their kin. My own mother, the one I thought I could trust forever, had betrayed me and come back to her old citizenship, the one she said she forsook when she eloped with my father… The one that killed our friends and stripped everything away from us. Why? Why!?
'You are asking too many questions, young Hume.'
I shivered and turned toward the voice that pronounced those words. Leaning on the front of a milliner's shop, the tall figure of a woman with claws and rabbit ears was observing me with a grin.
'The… the viera! You were in Landis!'
I immediately regretted my words. What if she was not the same one? Ivalice was huge, and there were certainly more than one viera in the Empire. But that face… those eyes… that assertiveness in the tone of her voice… it had to be her!
'I am her', she said, slowly approaching.
She sat next to me as more people were crossing the square, their eyes open wide at the sight of a viera in their capital.
'I see you made it safely to Archades', she said. 'Mallicant has done a wonderful job.'
I ignored her and turned the other way.
'There were others like you in Uwiel', she added. 'I tried, but I could not save them all… the ones who survived chose to stay there.'
'I would have stayed too!' I screamed. 'I wanted to stay and do something for the land where I was born and grew up! I… I would have helped the other villagers and we would…'
'You would be dead', the viera interrupted. 'Both your mother and yourself. War is unforgiving and my colleagues show no quarter. You have told some of them that you were from the Gabranth family, but it is not well known around here. Its members have somehow fallen and had to leave Archades for the industrial regions.'
'I don't care about the members of my family. I only have my mother left.'
And Basch. But I had enough to deal with in Archades to think about the hole he left in me at that moment. One word that the viera said stroke me like a thunderbolt.
'Your colleagues?' I repeated. 'You said that the soldiers are your colleagues? Why do you seem to have a high consideration for murderers? Didn't you see what they did in my village? Didn't you see how they consider other people? Why did you join their ranks in the first place?'
'The soldiers you saw weren't the only ones that committed murders in Landis. The Mighty Four – and the TM's in particular – sent their own squads to settle scores there. I personally joined the Imperial Army because it was the best cover for my… observation activities. And after arriving in the Empire, I needed to protect myself. Just like you. Am I wrong?'
I gritted my teeth with rage and clenched my fists.
'You need a stable situation to protect yourself, and protect your mother. Am I wrong?' she repeated.
What was she saying this for? What was the meaning of all this? Taking my silence for approbation, she continued:
'Then come to the army. You will find your place there.'
'I will never join the likes of you!'
I had shouted, standing in front of the viera and giving her my most ominous look. Some people gathered around us, and glanced at each other in confusion.
'Keep on like this and you'll get yourself in trouble', the viera said, always with her calm soothing voice.
Recollecting my senses, I browsed the curious faces in front of me, realizing she was right. I bowed quickly, apologized to the crowd, and went to sit a few paces further, on the other side of the square steps. Thankfully, the Archadians began to scatter.
'Is that your answer?' the viera said, joining me once again.
'I have no interest in joining the army', I replied firmly. 'And even if I did, I am not a fighter. I don't know how to hold a sword, unlike Ba… unlike others. And even if I knew… I'm only seventeen years old. The Imperial Army does not accept, under any circumstance, applicants under the age of eighteen. I have heard that Judge Bergan takes this rule very seriously.'
Upon hearing that name, the viera closed her eyes and smiled until her canines were visible.
'You are well informed', she said, visibly amused. 'Judge Bergan doesn't listen to many people, but he will listen to me if I have a request to make. The army pays well and joining at this moment would not be a big risk. Everything can be arranged in due time. Do not let details deter you from this goal.'
'It is not my goal!' I objected. 'I repeat that I have absolutely no wish to be a… an Archadian soldier!'
She smiled again and opened her eyes, showing golden pupils.
'As you wish. But should you change your mind, then go to the Military Imperial Akademy, located straight on the other side of the Glorious Road. Ask for the viera. Everyone knows me there.'
And upon these words, she stood up, her more than two meters overlooking all the civilians.
'Let us see that chocobo.'
'Book…?'
What business did she have with the chocobo?
'Your neighbors have complained about it – certainly because of the smell. A patrol is scheduled to come and kill it tomorrow. Lead me to your building and I will take it to the place I just mentioned. It shall stay there with Mallicant and the other beasts.'
'Book is our chocobo! He cannot leave the…'
But once again, she was right. What would a chocobo in Archades be useful for, apart from scaring the passers-by? And what about the soldiers that wanted to kill it? But was it safe to show this viera where we lived? Mother would certainly not approve of this. However, did I have a choice?
I walked back to Rienna, with the viera on my side. I showed her the place where Book was – she looked startled but swiftly handled the creature as if she had been living with chocobos all her life. I looked at him – maybe for the last time – as she left the building and put a foot in the street.
'Don't forget my proposal', she said, turning to me one last time.
'What makes you think I will trust you?' I replied dimly.
'Because you already trusted me to help you find your way to the capital. Mallicant is not my horse – the Mistress would be very upset to know I used her for this purpose. It was risky but worth it. And it shall be the same for your career in the army.'
Seeing my lack of reaction, she turned away and was about to leave.
'What's your name?' I asked, before I could control my mouth.
Without looking at me, the viera smiled and replied:
'She used to call me "Cal"'.
Landis had officially fallen. President Fördern had signed the unconditional surrender of the country, which was then absorbed into the Archadian Empire. I was reading the news everyday hoping that it would not happen, that it would not be true. Yet who was I to wish for a victory without battle? For the safety of a country I was not living in anymore? I was only a coward who ran away with his mother, and who only survived because she was Archadian. That mere thought was crushing my bowels and bringing more tears at night than I could admit. Sometimes I dreamed of Basch; once, he was the savior of Landis, and another time, he came with a sword to end my suffering and kill the remainder of the village. Mornings were both a release and a torture, as I had to find something to eat without spending too much of Thembeka's money. I soon learnt that Archades was ruled by a secret rule: the rule of information, and that I could earn gil, items or respect by prowling in the fancy streets and exchanging a few words with the so-called high-class citizens. It wasn't the most entertaining way to spend my days, as the ladies' simpers and the men's suspicions did not help me feel better, but at the end I always had some goods for my mother and I, and that's what mattered.
Several weeks later, I was in the kitchen cooking dinner when my mother appeared, laboriously leaning on the doorframe and trying to smile.
'What are you doing?' I said, almost annoyed. 'Please go back to the living-room, I will be done soon.'
'I… wanted to talk.'
The previous weeks had been spent rather apart from each other. Mother was spending much of her days with Thembeka, who came daily to visit, while I was away in the city. When I came back, I was tired and just had time to cook and eat before falling asleep. Mother and I did not speak much during dinners. But that evening, she wanted to talk.
'Then at least sit down on the chair', I said, helping her doing so.
She sighed and lowered her head while I decreased the stove's fire level.
'I thought about what you told me the other day. I can totally understand how you're feeling and the fact that you want to work. But as a mother, my heart leaped with fear at that idea. With your constant cleverness and law skills, it was easy for you to try to work in… in our homeland.'
She never said the word 'Landis' since we arrived in Archades and it made me furious.
'But', she continued, 'in this reckless town, finding a job is neither easy nor safe for someone who doesn't know the rules and the people. That's why I reacted this way. That's why… Oh, Noah, I'm sorry…'
Hearing my name for the first time since Landis, along with her sobs, made my heart melt. I rushed at her side and took her in my arms.
'It's alright, Mother. I know about it. It is I who should be ashamed of my behavior. I hope you can forgive me.'
But Mother gently pushed me away, shaking her head and smiling.
'It is never a bother', she said. 'We are here together to try to find solutions and move forward. It's just… I have no idea of a position that could allow you to prosper while keeping you protected from the Archadians' implacable rumors and judiciary system. After reading in the news what happened to Attorney Vopiscus, it seems that local law offices are more purgatories than workplaces. You are just not prepared for this…'
I turned off the fire and closed my eyes. Some words had to be said – at least shared with the most precious person I had.
'There may be a way. Do you remember the viera that helped us cross the border?'
And I told her my queer encounter with the tall 'Cal' in detail. My mother seemed shocked and delighted at the same time.
'That viera must certainly live in the Palace and serve high-level guardians. Other races than Humes do not survive long in the Empire in ordinary circumstances. What she says makes sense. The best way to avoid being a victim of an established order is to be part of it. What say you, my son? Do you feel you could become a… an Archadian soldier?'
Just as before, the mere thought of it brought disgust and horror to my mind. But what about my chances in the Empire? I was lucky enough to not get caught as an intruder until that moment, but who could tell what would happen afterwards? They could imprison me… and worse than all, imprison my mother. That ought not to happen… ever! Yet I was so weak, unable to hold a sword, and would stand no chance against an Archadian soldier, let alone a Judge. Therefore, as wearying as it was, the only key to open the survival box was to… become that soldier myself.
'I do not want to become an imperial', I replied calmly. 'But if something can allow us to live peacefully… to lessen the burden of this existence, and most of all, to protect you… I would do it, no matter what it is.'
My mother opened her mouth, teary-eyed and holding her hands, before smiling immoderately, tears flowing down her hollow cheeks:
'My son! Noah…!'
'I am Gabranth now, right? You said it yourself. I shall remember all the advice you've given for our safety and come back every evening with money. I will take good care of myself, you'll see! You ought never to worry about anything starting from this moment.'
Something was louder than her sobs as I was hugging her again. Louder than the noise of airships and the Sky Train traversing the imperial atmosphere. Louder than all my doubts and all their threats. There was something I needed for so long, and that a position in the Imperial Army would be able to give me. I was about to acquire power. Strength. Might. I would not let Basch surpass me any longer. I had to be ready for the day I would meet him again.
'Could you please show me the Road of Glory?'
The man I had asked frowned and called out to another rich-looking person next to him.
'To the Glorious Road he goes! No less!'
'He? This lad?'
'As if he had some business to do there! Hahaha!'
'I do', I said with a mean look. 'My colleagues from the Second Battalion are waiting for me as I'm coming back from my first mission, which was located in the inland provinces!'
I was lying, of course. I just knew the Second Infantry Battalion was under Judge Bergan's command – which was enough to completely transform the two men's faces.
'The… The Glorious Road is the one starting at the right of the Imperial Palace. Here's how to get there without being subject to all the Palace protocol…'
And I memorized the men's indications before heading to my new office.
The Road to Glory was ostensibly a road to composure first. After walking under the big arch, the sight of the palace alone was enough to unsettle me. It was a stately construction of at least twenty-five floors above the ground. The clouds met its upper levels in apparent harmony. The path I was in had nothing in common with the rest of Archades. It was extremely large, serene, and empty. Street lights were shedding a comforting gleam on the brown pavement, on that quiet cold Gemini morning. Continuing my route through a shortcut at the right of the palace, I noticed a few men walking at the same hasty pace as mine – probably soldiers beginning their working day. After an awe-inspiring walk of almost two kilometers, I finally reached another impressive building, less high than large. The second best-guarded one of the Empire. All around it, drab fields hosted several airships, smaller buildings, and groups of soldiers.
'You there! This is the Imperial Akademy. Turn back!'
'I want to enroll!' I screamed to the guard shooting at me with his voice. 'I am new!'
'What's your name and age?'
'My name is Gabranth and I am seventeen years old.'
The soldier paused a moment before saying:
'We don't take anyone under eighteen. Come back later.'
'But I have heard there is a special program! Someone in there talked to me about it!'
Lying once again, I was certain that the guard would dispel me for good. But to my surprise, he walked to his colleague and both opened the fence.
Peering left and right at the huge fields, I kept going until reaching the main building. "Judge Bergan's lair", as the gaudy Archadians called it.
Inside, a whole administration inside the administration was taking place. Soldiers, soldiers everywhere, they were running in all directions and talking from the deep voice behind their helmets. Several desks were on the right corner, while the left one was filled with doors and stairs leading to the upper floors.
'Hey! Are you new?'
I soon realized that I was the only armorless person in the building. Too noticeable to be incognito.
'Yes', I answered to a soldier coming in my direction.
'Then you seek the Second Bureau. It is located on the first floor. First door on the right.'
I thanked him and turned left to the stairs. The Second Bureau was literally a small room with a desk where a soldier was talking to a group of others on the other side. The group of soldiers had a different-looking helmet and armor style. Where they Judges?
I waited until their discussion was done to knock on the open door. Alone after the group's departure, the remaining soldier behind the desk didn't seem to notice my existence. I waited a full minute before I found the strength to knock again.
'Come in', he said without raising his helmet at me.
I gulped and put a foot inside before standing in front of him.
'Your name.'
'Gabranth.'
'Your age.'
'Seventeen years old. Born in Aquarius.'
'Young.'
He suddenly stood up and stared at me:
'Too young. I cannot do anything for you, young boy.'
'But…'
And I clumsily began to explain that I needed a job to support my mother, that I was brave and ready to fight for the Empire. The soldier listened but shook his head in negation.
The hell with those imperials! Why were they so stubborn? I was about to give up when I remembered Cal's words.
'I was told that I could enroll by the viera.'
'The viera?'
The soldier put his hand on his chin, visibly confused.
'Which viera?'
'The viera that works here.'
I remembered my mother's words as well:
'And lives in the Palace.'
'The viera?' he repeated, astounded. 'But how could you meet her? She never goes around patrolling… Oh well. Please wait a moment.'
Full of hope, I let him pass the door and leave the desk. He came back few minutes later:
'I don't know if there's anything for you here, my boy.'
We kept on discussing for a long time before the rabbit ears appeared behind me:
'Let him do his service here. He can apply.'
'You? But…' said the soldier.
'Gabranth is a promising young man whom I met at a civil training. His performances were good.'
Lies! Was it possible to get anywhere in that empire without lying?!
Still startled, the soldier hesitated, then eventually asked me to sit to proceed to my registration.
The viera was present during the whole process. At the end, she winked at me and left the office before I could ask her anything.
'Please wait in the main hall. I will come and fetch you in an hour with your signed registration form. You will need it to begin your service next week.'
I nodded and obeyed. The hall was still filled with soldiers, bustling with agitation. I leaned on the wall while thinking about my future. Thoughts were shuffling in my head, leaving no rest as the sun was rising up in the sky. What did the viera think about my change of mind? After a year of thinking – already one year spent in this damned empire! –, she was looking perfectly relaxed, as she had guessed that I would come someday despite my initial protest. Suddenly, I noticed a figure in the hall that was unknown to me, yet piqued my interest. The only figure without armor – with the exception of myself. He was wearing expensive but simple-styled clothes, and his round head with short-cut hair was sharply arguing with a group of soldiers.
'No, it's impossible. We cannot enroll you without this paper', said one of them.
'But it is my utmost right, as citizen of this empire, to join the ranks of its army! Look at that lad right here, for example', retorted the blond gentleman, pointing at me. 'Did any of you ask him such a paper? Of course not!'
'But he's certainly a minor. Your situation is different, my Lord.'
They kept talking for a few minutes before the gentleman gave up, visibly disappointed. He looked at me again, then walked the distance that was separating us with a smile.
'Sorry for bringing you into the discussion… I know nothing about you. My name is Vitu Palnissen!'
And he held out his arm to me. I shook his hand and replied:
'I am Gabranth.'
'Oh, Gabranth… This name sounds familiar, but I haven't heard it since a long time. Do you want to join the army as well?'
'I do.'
'It should be a formality for me, you see… Yet those guys from the Second Bureau are so hot-headed! They denied me the registration on the pretext that I have been working. What does my job have to do with anything? I didn't bring a work certificate with me, and here I am.'
I did not know what to tell him.
'I… I hope you will manage to join.'
'I sure will! I have a dream that I need to fulfill. What about you? How old are you?'
'Seventeen.'
'Oh, then I suppose you applied for military service first. Several seventeen-years-olds do this trick to obtain the soldier position right afterwards, without a test. Do you know someone?'
It took me a few seconds to realize what he meant. Was it risky to say the truth? Probably, but I said it:
'I do.'
'How lucky! I'm twenty-one myself, and know no one here. I'll probably have to enter service too. Well, Gabranth, it seems your registration is ready… Congratulations! I shall meet you there!'
And he left with a smile, as the Second Bureau employee was back with the paper.
My first days at the Akademy were more tiresome than expected. Due to my lack of physical activity, the trainings I had to undergo were hell on Ivalice. The instructors were extremely strict and did not tolerate any weakness. Sometimes, my legs were quivering during stretching exercises and I had to stop, while the others made a fool of me. The others were generally older, like Vitu. Vitu was one of the only trainees I talked to. He got admitted into service shortly after me, and was following every session with a dedication worthy of respect. Unlike me, he had always been fond of sport, and the physical training was a formality for him, as he had said.
Weapon wielding classes were slightly more bearable. I learnt to handle a spear and a one-handed sword in a few weeks. Vitu was pleased with my progress, always cheerful and encouraging no matter the circumstances. He was powerless in front of the other trainees' mockery, but thankfully it became less and less frequent.
At the end of each day, I came back to the apartment in Rienna, where my mother was patiently waiting for me. Each time, she bombarded me with questions about my health and my safety, and each time I had to reassure her. The money I was making was scarce for Archades cost of living, but enough to become financially independent thanks to the apartment ownership. Thembeka was still visiting my mother during the days, helping with whatever she could; she approved my decision of enrolling in the army, saying I would make Mother proud.
At the end of the year, during a warm morning of the Capricorn month, I met Vitu at the main hall of the Akademy as usual.
'Are you ready?' he asked with an uncommon smile.
'Ready for…?'
'Haven't you heard the instructor yesterday? Today is the first day of our placement. We are to replace part of the Palace guard, who went on reconnaissance in Landis.'
That last word squeezed my heart tightly, but I pretended not to notice. Vitu was a good person who regularly asked questions about me without being invasive, and it had to stay so.
'So we'll go to the Palace today?'
'Indeed. Just on the other side of the Glorious Road. Here are the others; let us go!'
Vitu got appointed to the eighth floor, while I had been told to go to the second one. During the walk, I realized I was still not comfortable with the armor, although it was just my size. Something about it was stifling and oppressive – just like the Empire.
'So that is the Palace?' Vitu exclaimed, gaping at the immense building, the heart of the Archadia, and the place where everything was happening, according to the capital's rumors.
The entrance was as well-guarded as I had expected. Several troops were standing in front of the wide doors – swordsmen, magi as well as beast tamers with mastiffs. Recognizing the instructor, they soon formed perfect parallel lines to let the group pass. I held my breath and marched towards the doors being opened. As soon as I put a foot inside, I entered a whole new world, which I didn't know yet that I would never leave.
Majestic chandeliers were home to feeble lights, that shone a peculiar gleam on the stairs facing us. The ochre walls framed sumptuous paneling as well as a big, yellow door.
'Upstairs', simply said the instructor.
We marched step by step – the steps were not many – until we arrived at the largest, the highest, and certainly the richest dining-room that ever was. The first floor was apparently reserved for high-ranking guests, to feed their eyes and take their breath away. Dozens of rectangular tables were meticulously aligned, with everything needed for a first-rate meal – except the food: shiny yellow napkins, perfectly smooth silky tablecloth, and cutlery made of silver. A place on the side was left empty – probably for an orchestra to cause a sensation.
There, amidst the glare that the storm magicites on the chandeliers were sending, and in front of that unrivalled scenery, the instructor called us to order and began dispatching us.
'Not all floors have armor authorization. Stay in your assignment area at all costs. Besides, as you all know, this is His Excellency's sacred home and all floors starting from the twentieth are forbidden to anyone under the rank of Judge. For the rest, follow the rules you have been given and good luck.'
Vitu left with a smile and disappeared in the service elevator, much more sober than the sophisticated glass elevator used by the imperial family and Judge Magisters.
The other trainees left as well, each one at a different floor. I took the stairs, slightly intimidated by the strong lights and the strange, but pleasurable scent. I was to watch the second floor, and only a few steps were separating me from the destination. In my opinion, guarding the indoor parts of the Palace was neither entertaining nor useful, but it seemed to have a certain importance in the eyes of the army superiors, that saw in it a deterrent against unwelcome intrusions, and I had to obey.
The second floor's space was more divided than the first, with several doors here and there, around a vast area filled with stretchers. Was that the medical floor? The names engraved on some of the doors confirmed my hypothesis – the names of various doctors and nurses.
I pushed the only nameless door, located in the center, and found myself in a small corridor leading to what looked like a living-room. Beige leather armchairs formed a circle around a grey metal table with newspapers neatly put inside a wicker basket. Against the immaculate white walls were two tall brown wooden cupboards holding a dozen shelves each. And on these shelves, one title immediately caught my attention.
General Law Categorization. Supreme Court of the Republic of Landis.
The book I had borrowed in Waldgott! What was a book about Landis doing in an Archadian library?
Intrigued, I removed my helmet, put it on the table and began reading the book to refresh my memory. I truly missed the impassioned talks with my friends regarding law and the other matters that interested us. Reading those mere pages filled me with a crippling nostalgia that prevented me from noticing anything around me.
'Do you want to become a Judge?'
I quivered in terror. Right under my eyes, a feminine face appeared, with a full genuine smile and a cunning look.
'My name is Anastasia, but you can call me Nastia!' she said, slowly standing up straight. She was rather short, with chestnut-brown wavy hair, carefully tied on the sides with clips, and dark eyes that seemed to scan my whole body.
'Are you working here?' I asked, closing the book and putting it back where I'd found it.
Her attire was particular, with a long purple dress protected by a blue apron. Her right hand was holding a feather duster.
'Why, yes!' she said, suddenly ill-at-ease and looking at her small feet. 'I am… My mother and I are working as maids in the Palace. She got promoted at the Thirteenth but I'm not quite there yet!...'
She looked more embarrassed with each second. I didn't know what that was supposed to mean but I did not want to trouble her any longer.
'My name is Gabranth', I said, putting on my helmet. 'I am doing my military service and have been appointed to watch the second floor this week. I don't know if I want to become a Judge, but I should be back to work.'
'O… of course!' she said, her ruddy face looking left and right.
'Good luck, Gabranth!' she added, as I was leaving the room.
I returned to the Palace's second floor twice more, in the months of Leo and Scorpio. Each time, I found Nastia dusting the small living-room, and each time the books displayed were different. Nastia and I only exchanged a few banalities, but, just like Vitu, she gave me the impression of a modest, respectful person. Her name and face reminded me, against my will, of the one I had lost in Landis, but… she was different.
Finally, the month of Gemini 689 arrived, and with it the end of my military service. I was eighteen years old and earned the right to be automatically transferred to one of the divisions of the Imperial Army. I didn't know what it would change concretely, but Vitu was delighted.
'Finally! Finally!' he repeated. 'I will be able to realize my dream!'
He did talk about his dream often, but that time I was too curious:
'And what is your dream?'
He turned towards me, starry-eyed:
'To join the Western Armada of the army. That's where Judge Zargabaath is deployed. My dream is to enter his division and work under his command.'
And he added, seeing the disarray on my face:
'Lord Zargabaath is the Judge Magister I respect the most. I have talked to some of his generals – he is incredibly human and understanding. He lives in the eighth floor of the Palace, along with some of his Judges, but unfortunately I never had the chance to meet him during my patrols there. To me, he represents the perfect voice to enlighten the Empire's future: he always thinks of the general interest first, whilst being extremely intelligent, proficient in many fields, and totally loyal to House Solidor. He hasn't been appointed Official Guard of Her Highness for no reason!'
While I had met several Judges during my service, I had never met a Judge Magister. Yet to become fully part of the army, I had to serve under one of them. Which one would it be?
'What about you, Gabranth? What is your dream?'
My dream? I looked away, troubled and disheartened.
'I do not have a dream for the moment', I simply replied.
"All my dreams have been crushed by this very empire I'm serving", I added internally.
'Gabranth? Are you alright?' he asked, visibly worried.
'Aye. Thank you, Vitu.'
We were waiting in the Akademy's main hall for twenty minutes when a familiar figure appeared.
'Cal!' I exclaimed, walking toward the viera.
But she put her forefinger against her lips and asked me to follow her with a head movement.
'I cannot talk for a long time, or it will appear suspicious to the others', she said, closing the door of one of the offices.
She stood right in front of me and grinned.
'Congratulations for your service. As of today, you are an official member of the Imperial Army. From now on you are Soldier Gabranth, serving in the Sixth Division, led by Judge Magister Drace, who is most happy to have you.'
'Drace…?'
After a few sentences explaining administrative details to me, she opened the door and invited me to join the others. Loud talks were taking place in the hall, while I searched for Vitu, absent from it.
'Gabranth! I made it!'
And before I could react, a heavy punch on my back made me bend.
'You… you hurt me!'
'Sorry, but you should work on your physical resistance, my friend!' he said, completely blown away. 'Can you believe it? I will serve under Judge Zargabaath! This is the best news of my life!'
'Co… congratulations…' I said, standing up with difficulty.
'What about you?'
'Judge Drace. Sixth Division.'
'Oh!' he said, slightly disappointed. 'I have heard good things about Judge Drace. Some soldiers are mad at the idea of having a female leader.'
'I do not mind', I replied.
And after bidding farewell to the non-soldier trainees and exchanging the news of our postings, everyone took their separate way.
I had heard of Judge Drace a few times. Not as much as Judge Bergan, who led the Imperial Military Akademy, though. She had the reputation of being the fastest sword fighter of the Empire, and the strongest of the female Judge Magisters by far. The other Judge Magisters I had heard of were Zecht and Zargabaath – the latter through Vitu, as I thought of it – whose divisions were frequently doing operations at the Western border. Judge Zecht was, in addition to that, the leader of all the Judge Magisters, and formerly Official Guard of Lady Ephedrine.
Nastia told me that Lady Ephedrine was Emperor Gramis's first wife. They had two sons: Lord Eder-Cilt and Lord Phonmat, who were regularly making appearances in the city – for different reasons. Both were over twenty years old. After Lady Ephedrine's death at the age of twenty-seven, the Emperor married Sentia, who was, according to the rumors, leading the country with an iron fist. Their only son was Lord Vayne, a shy boy of thirteen years old. However, at my latest patrol at the Second, Nastia insinuated that Empress Sentia was pregnant with a second child.
The Palace stories interested me very little, but Nastia was fond of them, and I had to know at least who I would be working for in the near future.
Several years had passed. My mother's state was still worrisome, but stable. She was impressed by my body transformation, saying I was becoming a man. The intense Akademy training – even more intense than during the service – left no room for doubt or hesitation. Every morning, before sunrise, we had to undergo heavy muscle-development exercises, before running and fencing sessions. I soon learnt that the Sixth Division had the reputation of having the mightiest swordsmen, and that area was indeed much focused on. Several soldiers in my division had their own swords, as fancy as treasures, and my troop's major looked puzzled when I told him I didn't have any.
One afternoon, during a break, a queer buzzing from the main building's right wing caught my attention. Several groups of soldiers were gathering in a dark room, enthusiastically talking and laughing. At the bottom of the room, one of the groups was smaller than the others, and an armorless man was standing in the center. I carefully got closer, and realized it was no ordinary man.
His black velvet buttoned shirt was surrounding a prominent bust, alternatively turning left and right with big gestures of his arms. His red trousers and shiny shoes were also moving to heavily step on the ground, as his hefty face was lost in laughter. The short messy black hair and the odd sky blue eyes could not belong to any other person than the one Nastia had described with a sort of soft fear.
'Who's ready for the festival?' he suddenly shouted at the whole audience.
All of the soldiers replied with a raised fist and a cry of victory. The talks resumed with even more tumult.
'Everything will be perfect, my Lord!' said one of the soldiers as I had crossed half of the distance separating me from the other side.
'All arrangements have been made. We all cannot wait for this event to take place! Your Highness truly revolutionized the Archadian scene!'
But the gentleman's eyes were fixing me. With a mere hand gesture, all the soldiers surrounding him stepped aside to let him pass, and he arrived at my level with his azure curiosity.
'A lone soldier entering our nest. Are you new?' he said in an amused voice. 'What's your name?'
'Gabranth, my Lord', I replied, breathless.
'Then tell your major that Lord Phonmat has invited you to the Phon Festival of this glorious year 692 under the high patronage of Her Highness, and that you need two weeks off for it. One for partying… and one for recovering!'
All the soldiers of his group laughed loudly. I remained silent, unsure what to reply.
'Do you think he knows who DJ Lover is?' Lord Phonmat asked, his eyes moist from laughter.
'I am not interested in joining this… festival', I suddenly said, without realizing it.
Lord Phonmat turned back to me. Voices around me were whispering things like 'Is he crazy?', 'Who can refuse such an invitation?' and so on. I remained still, hiding my fright under my armor. Phonmat eventually closed his eyes and displayed his amused grin again.
'I see. A serious worker we have here. Certainly one of Judge Drace's recruits. You are welcome to join us another year.'
And he turned away, going back to the bottom of the room with the others, as I let out a deep sigh.
During my first years as a soldier, I saw the viera much more often than I did during my service. She apparently knew Judge Drace personally and sometimes came to see if all the troops' training was going well. She rarely spoke, but was observing my troop more frequently than the others.
Once during a cold morning of 693, she was present while the major was reviewing the troop. When he arrived at my level, he complained:
'Your back!'
I tried to stand straight up, but I realized my back was hurting more than I had imagined. I had felt back pain during the previous months, but I didn't imagine it would reach that step.
'Your back!' the major repeated.
'It hurts, my Lord', I replied, troubled but sincere.
The other soldiers began to jeer. The major raised his hand and was about to add something when the viera leaped between us:
'I will take care of it. He shall have an appropriate posture soon.'
And she took my hand, leading me to the same place where I had met Lord Phonmat. At the last moment, she turned right, to the last room of the building, and pushed the door.
'This is an unguent that should ease your pain if you apply it from the neck down. I made it myself. I am a salve-maker from Eruyt Village – the viera know something about chronic pain. There are lockers behind you.'
I clumsily thanked her and took the flask from her big hands.
The viera's unguent was incredibly effective, and my back pain completely disappeared after a few days. I was able to resume the harsh training as well as patrols in various places of the city. The paycheck was significantly higher than during service, and I had a raise every six months. They were right after all: joining the army was the perfect plan to live peacefully in Archades and keep my mother safe. I was never sent off outside the capital – it was apparently a tacit rule enforced by some Judge Magisters that favored keeping the soldiers that weren't Palace residents inside Archades. Because yes, part of the soldiers was living inside the huge building. Not in the upper floors, of course, but underground. Most of them didn't have anywhere else to go, and the Order of Judges thought it best to have permanent troops inside the Palace.
When I talked to Vitu, that I regularly met at lunch, about the second floor, he smiled and replied:
'The second floor is the medical floor of the Palace, as well as the guests' library. I have heard that there were very rare books hidden there. You are lucky to have been able to read some of them! Not sure we are even allowed to touch the furniture there…'
He added, after a pause:
'In order to become a Judge, I must take a look at these books too. I cannot admit that there is law knowledge that remains unknown to me!'
I was glad to have someone who thought alike concerning books and law, amidst all the rough soldiers who only thought about fighting.
'Becoming a Judge increases our chances to meet the Judge Magisters and work at their side', he continued, high-spirited. 'Are you not aiming at the same goal?'
Becoming a Judge? The idea sounded appealing, but it was still far from my mind at that moment.
I was thinking about what to answer, during that afternoon of the Cancer month 694, when a handful of men broke through the door of the refectory, to such an extent that my first thought was an intrusion.
'My Lord!'
I turned at once and recognized Archadian armors. Why such manners? The soldier who spoke went straight to the Judge who was sitting at the other side of the room.
'A tragedy! Lord Vayne and Lord Zecht were here to hear the news a moment ago, at the control tower.'
Judge Zecht and Lord Vayne? The former was so busy that he was rarely seen anywhere in Archades outside the Palace, and… Vayne? Why on Ivalice would he leave his mother's skirts, as the rumor wanted it? The control tower was used to monitor the imperial airships' trajectory, and was located in one of the huge fields surrounding the Akademy, on the other side of where Book – that I came to see regularly – was staying. A teenager had no reason to even approach the control tower. What news could they refer to?
The soldier and the Judge exchanged a few words in a lower voice, then the latter stood up and asked all the soldiers to gather outside.
'Archadia is entering an age of mourning and darkness. His Excellency will certainly make a public declaration and announce measures in the next hours. We need you all to remain strong and committed – the Empire needs us more than ever before.'
'What's going on?' I asked Vitu, whose face was pale and silent.
When I turned to the other soldiers, I saw that I was manifestly not the only one wondering.
'The Sixth Division will follow me on the Glorious Road. Her Honor is reportedly injured and we must secure the Palace at all costs.'
Judge Drace? Did she fight someone? Who could it be?
'This…' Vitu began. 'This is not good.'
'What do you mean?'
'I cannot be sure, but I know for a fact that Her Highness and most of the Judge Magisters were in one of the runways, this morning, before our arrival. Rumor has it she was flying alone to Bhujerba.'
'How does that concern us?' I asked.
He didn't answer, and I soon had to obey the Judge and get in line.
'Is it true?'
'That can't be!'
Around me, some soldiers seemed to have understood what was happening, and ignoring it was frustrating. We began marching until the Palace. A huge security perimeter was put in place, and the outside yard contained as many soldiers as the Military Akademy.
That's where she appeared. Alone. Swift. Determined. I recognized the round-horned helmet as well as the famous curvy armor.
Judge Magister Drace left the Palace, avoided by all soldiers on her path.
'Your Honor!' called the Judge that was accompanying us.
But she did not even stop. He quickly made his conclusions and announced:
'Her Honor is only slightly injured. She will supervise matters in town while we stay here until further notice.'
'What happened, my Lord?' one soldier, posted at the front, asked.
Thank goodness. The Judge recoiled, then stood straight and raised his voice:
'According to the Ninth Division's report, we lost three members of the imperial family today. His Excellency lost his two eldest heirs…'
Lord Eder-Cilt and Lord Phonmat? They were said to surpass any common enemy, each one of them having undergone a heavy military training. Who could have killed them? And where?
'And...' the Judge continued with a fainter voice, 'And there was evidence that Her Highness died in her airship's crash.'
So that was it. The Archadian Black Rose had fallen.
