Chapter 4
When Tal awoke the first thing he expected was an intense pain in his shoulder but he felt nothing more than a dull ache. Someone must have put his arm back into its socket while he was unconscious. Keeping his eyes closed, Tal started to get up but a hand rested on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down.
"Lay still boy. Quite a nasty tumble you took," said a familiar voice. Tal opened his eyes and saw Ebbit crouched next to him.
Ebbit's sunstone had traces of blue healing light swirling within its depth, a sign that he had dulled the pain in Tal's arm. Then Ebbit spoke.
"Things are changing boy, and I'm not sure if it's for the better but that's no reason to commit suicide, what were you thinking?"
"I wasn't," Tal replied weakly.
"Youngin' these days have no brains, it's a wonder how they get dressed in the morning."
Tal bit back a nasty reply. His uncle obviously didn't put any heart into the insult and was for the first time more concerned for Tal than he ever was. Then he spoke more seriously than Tal had ever heard.
"Tal you're Emperor now and you cannot go and do stupid things like putting yourself and others in danger just so that you can escape hardship. People need you more than you think."
"I know Uncle.I know."replied Tal as he thought of what he had just done.
It was a good idea at first but now in retrospect Tal saw just how much an idiot he was. Now that Tal was Emperor he had a responsibility to lead. The weight of the crown was on his shoulders and no matter how hard he tried he could not escape it. His actions today were not the actions of a king. He almost killed himself and the woman. Suddenly Tal got a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Uncle Ebbit, where is the woman? She fell with me and landed." started Tal.
Tal got up and looked around for the lady and regretted it as pain seared into his side.
"Careful, your ribs took a hit bit tip, along with your hip kit lit." said uncle Ebbit snapping back to his old self.
"I will. So who and where is the lady I almost killed?"
"She went down down down to her quarters. As to who she is, well wouldn't you like to know bow show," replied Ebbit.
"I take it I didn't do her any serious harm?" asked Tal a little relieved he didn't kill her, whoever she was.
"No but if you take up jumping from impossible heights as a hobby then you've damaged your brain more than you've hurt hers."
"So, who is she?" asked Tal, relieved that he and the mystery woman were alive.
"Oh you'll meet her soon enough.but we've got to get you looking like a king before six. You can at least look like one even if you don't act like one."
With that Ebbit led the way down to the Throne room. As they arrived at the entrance they parted and went back to their quarters to get ready for the nights events. Tonight was Tal's inaugural ceremony. Tal dreaded this night ever since Sharakkor's defeat. In the recesses of his mind Tal knew that someday he would have to be king. He saw the signs.
They weren't important enough to consider at the time as Tal had bigger problems. Now the truth seemed to come back and haunt him. He was to be king and though he tried everything to get out of it, he was blocked at every turn. Tal finally arrived at his house. The door had his family sigil on it, a Sthil-beast leaping over seven stars. The only difference to this one was it wasn't orange like his old house was. It was violet and above the stars was a violet royal crown.
Tal pushed the large oak door open and as soon as he stepped inside he was assaulted by an underfolk trying to get him dressed.
"Sire where have you been it is nearly the sixth hour, I must get you dressed." said Tao anxiously at the same time trying to undress Tal.
"Hello Tao. I'm sorry I'm late. It's alright I can dress myself. Go on ahead to the hall and get to your seat, I'll be down as soon as I can." came Tal's reply.
Tao objected many times and still tried to get Tal dressed. It wasn't until Tal had to order Tao to leave before he left the room sulkily. Tal looked at the robes he was to wear tonight.
It was a pearl white ensemble made from the finest silk. Tal changed into the long pants that went over the boots. Then he wore a sleeveless gi style top and shrugged on the sleeveless outer coat. After he had changed he look into his full length mirror and what he saw was not the boy who defeated Sharakkor but the king of legend he was made out to be.
Tal sighed. It was seven years ago and much had changed. He saw it everywhere. After the defeat of Sharakkor there was total panic and chaos spread through the seven towers but slowly things became docile and that was when things changed. The underfolk became free however reluctant about the rise to the status of free. The renegade Chosen were informed of what had happened.
Most believed but a host didn't and formed a political group know as the Chosen Proper. There was a union of Icecarl and Chosen which led to an Icecarl Embassy in the castle where an old Crone known as Yukin and her Shield Maiden bodyguards resided. And all spiritshadows were sent back to Aenir. Only then did Tal saw the change in himself.
Physically he was no longer a scrawny boy but a handsome, young (well muscled) man. He hadn't changed much mentally except for the adoption of his huge sense or responsibility.
"Tal old boy today is the day you become a legend." he muttered to himself.
When Tal awoke the first thing he expected was an intense pain in his shoulder but he felt nothing more than a dull ache. Someone must have put his arm back into its socket while he was unconscious. Keeping his eyes closed, Tal started to get up but a hand rested on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down.
"Lay still boy. Quite a nasty tumble you took," said a familiar voice. Tal opened his eyes and saw Ebbit crouched next to him.
Ebbit's sunstone had traces of blue healing light swirling within its depth, a sign that he had dulled the pain in Tal's arm. Then Ebbit spoke.
"Things are changing boy, and I'm not sure if it's for the better but that's no reason to commit suicide, what were you thinking?"
"I wasn't," Tal replied weakly.
"Youngin' these days have no brains, it's a wonder how they get dressed in the morning."
Tal bit back a nasty reply. His uncle obviously didn't put any heart into the insult and was for the first time more concerned for Tal than he ever was. Then he spoke more seriously than Tal had ever heard.
"Tal you're Emperor now and you cannot go and do stupid things like putting yourself and others in danger just so that you can escape hardship. People need you more than you think."
"I know Uncle.I know."replied Tal as he thought of what he had just done.
It was a good idea at first but now in retrospect Tal saw just how much an idiot he was. Now that Tal was Emperor he had a responsibility to lead. The weight of the crown was on his shoulders and no matter how hard he tried he could not escape it. His actions today were not the actions of a king. He almost killed himself and the woman. Suddenly Tal got a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Uncle Ebbit, where is the woman? She fell with me and landed." started Tal.
Tal got up and looked around for the lady and regretted it as pain seared into his side.
"Careful, your ribs took a hit bit tip, along with your hip kit lit." said uncle Ebbit snapping back to his old self.
"I will. So who and where is the lady I almost killed?"
"She went down down down to her quarters. As to who she is, well wouldn't you like to know bow show," replied Ebbit.
"I take it I didn't do her any serious harm?" asked Tal a little relieved he didn't kill her, whoever she was.
"No but if you take up jumping from impossible heights as a hobby then you've damaged your brain more than you've hurt hers."
"So, who is she?" asked Tal, relieved that he and the mystery woman were alive.
"Oh you'll meet her soon enough.but we've got to get you looking like a king before six. You can at least look like one even if you don't act like one."
With that Ebbit led the way down to the Throne room. As they arrived at the entrance they parted and went back to their quarters to get ready for the nights events. Tonight was Tal's inaugural ceremony. Tal dreaded this night ever since Sharakkor's defeat. In the recesses of his mind Tal knew that someday he would have to be king. He saw the signs.
They weren't important enough to consider at the time as Tal had bigger problems. Now the truth seemed to come back and haunt him. He was to be king and though he tried everything to get out of it, he was blocked at every turn. Tal finally arrived at his house. The door had his family sigil on it, a Sthil-beast leaping over seven stars. The only difference to this one was it wasn't orange like his old house was. It was violet and above the stars was a violet royal crown.
Tal pushed the large oak door open and as soon as he stepped inside he was assaulted by an underfolk trying to get him dressed.
"Sire where have you been it is nearly the sixth hour, I must get you dressed." said Tao anxiously at the same time trying to undress Tal.
"Hello Tao. I'm sorry I'm late. It's alright I can dress myself. Go on ahead to the hall and get to your seat, I'll be down as soon as I can." came Tal's reply.
Tao objected many times and still tried to get Tal dressed. It wasn't until Tal had to order Tao to leave before he left the room sulkily. Tal looked at the robes he was to wear tonight.
It was a pearl white ensemble made from the finest silk. Tal changed into the long pants that went over the boots. Then he wore a sleeveless gi style top and shrugged on the sleeveless outer coat. After he had changed he look into his full length mirror and what he saw was not the boy who defeated Sharakkor but the king of legend he was made out to be.
Tal sighed. It was seven years ago and much had changed. He saw it everywhere. After the defeat of Sharakkor there was total panic and chaos spread through the seven towers but slowly things became docile and that was when things changed. The underfolk became free however reluctant about the rise to the status of free. The renegade Chosen were informed of what had happened.
Most believed but a host didn't and formed a political group know as the Chosen Proper. There was a union of Icecarl and Chosen which led to an Icecarl Embassy in the castle where an old Crone known as Yukin and her Shield Maiden bodyguards resided. And all spiritshadows were sent back to Aenir. Only then did Tal saw the change in himself.
Physically he was no longer a scrawny boy but a handsome, young (well muscled) man. He hadn't changed much mentally except for the adoption of his huge sense or responsibility.
"Tal old boy today is the day you become a legend." he muttered to himself.