Alaia Skyhawk: Here's the next one. HAPPY EASTER! :D
Also, while I've not said as much before now, each of the five Constellations from the Allegiance are not the founders of their families. Also, while I did explain it once (waaaaaaay back) I'll explain it again here since the question came up in the reviews. The child of a Constellation will also be a Constellation, because the instinctive knowledge for it imprints to successive generations. That's why such families restrict the number of children they'll have, because otherwise there would be a LOT of Constellations hanging about the place. The five on Lumeris kept to that tradition, despite being the only five when once there were a hundred, because if you can't create immortals then what point is there in spreading out large families of 'useless' Constellations? Chances are, now, they'll each have two or three children in the next generation to give a boost to the numbers. Eldest child would inherit the original title, while the other two would start brand new lineages with new titles.
And lastly, since someone is likely to ask, the full titles of the five are this. When you see some of them, you'll understand why I simplify them in the same way "Tsar Lunar XII" is just "Tsar Lunar" most of the time. I only use the full title when the scene also refers to his father/differentiates him from his father.
Tsar Gallus XXXII (Thirty-Second)
Tsar Vespa XXVII (Twenty-Seventh)
Tsar Apis XXI (Twenty-First)
Tsarina Anser XVI (Sixteenth)
Tsar Noctua IX (Ninth)
Yeah, adding the numerals every time would be a PAIN!
Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians, the Guardians of Childhood, or any related characters etc. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes.
~(-)~
Chapter 117: Questions and Sightseeing
The cosy room echoed softly with the sounds of intermittent giggles, the source of which was the Spirit of Winter curled up in an armchair. Across from him a certain Easter Bunny was also struggling to keep a straight face, because at this particular time the new believers were coming in so thick and fast that it wasn't like being kicked, but rather incessantly tickled. Both were a bit drunk on good-will and cheer, much like after the final battle of the Easter Fiasco when all the children had started believing again... Except this time they weren't also stoked up on adrenaline to dampen down the effect.
In simple terms, it was likely neither would be composed enough to hold a conversation until the coming morning.
In the room next door, where the sound of Jack's chuckles didn't reach, Jamie stood at the window gazing out at the city in wonder. In the distance could be heard the sounds of celebration, and every fantastical flying carriage in the sky was festooned with trailing ribbons and bunting. Fireworks of equally fantastical shapes exploded in the air every so often, and the horizon of the darkening sky was transforming into the veil of shifting light unique to Lumeris. Like a crown of light to hold up the stars.
Also in the room were Tsar Gallus and Tsar Vespa. The other Constellations had gone to bed, including Tsar Lunar who had retreated to allow some of the almost worshipful awe from them to die down. But just as Jamie stared at the city with awe, so did the two Tsars in the room stare at him.
Tsar Vespa, after some fifteen minutes of awkward silence, at last tentatively cleared his throat before speaking.
"Is it true, that you can create immortals just as Tsar Lunar does?"
Jamie turned from the window and came over with a sigh. He wasn't surprised to be asked, but just surprised at how long it had taken for these other Constellations to ask it. All five of them, as the current generation of their respective lines, were over a hundred years old. Each was easily more than three times his own age, and yet in certain ways they were so hesitant they could have been inexperienced children.
Although, he had to suppose, the inexperienced part was fair description. For all that they ranged from being between the ninth and thirty-second generation of their various families, and for all their families had acted as leaders of the Allegiance, it remained a fact that it was more that they'd been figureheads stood in to front for the Pooka Brotherhood. Fifteen thousand years of ingrained habit, to defer to the advice of the Pookas in all matters, was going to take some time to break.
Jamie sat down on the couch opposite them, and answered the question.
"He saw my potential from when I was very young, although didn't tell me he had. In my late teens he took me on as a student to teach me all about Etheric Theory, and the importance of letting intuition and instinct guide the use of it. My ascension as a Constellation a few years later, didn't happen in the best of circumstances. I'm guessing that yours were much simpler."
The two other Tsars glanced at each other, Vespa speaking.
"Our founders were all trained by the Pooka Brotherhood, using what journals and records remained from the original Constellations. And while we are able to comprehend the entirety of the Ether, the primary defining mark of being a Constellation, all our attempts to connect individuals to it have ended in tragedy."
Tsar Gallus bowed his head, his expression grim.
"Those who volunteered to try, were often left as shadows of the former selves. Bereft of all ability to use Belief Magic, and very much still mortal. Our and our anscestors' attempts have been few, and infrequent, for that reason."
Jamie winced, imagining how that must have been. To essentially 'ruin' a person in the attempt to make them more than they once were. Still, he could make a guess as to where the problems were that caused it.
"Sounds like too much focus on book-learning and theory, and not enough faith in intuition. I was never taught the 'how' of creating an immortal. I knew some basic theory, but never trained actively to do it. So when I did, I didn't really have to think about it."
Tsar Vespa regarded him with curiosity.
"How did you ascend, Tsar Solus?"
Jamie hesitated, a flicker of pain crossing his features at the memory.
"Understand that my world is only recently unified, and that at my time of ascension it was still only a few years since the existence of Tsar Lunar and the Immortals had been revealed to the general public. Before that point they'd been seen as myths and legends, little more than stories. Many people embraced the news, while others were violently opposed to it."
Both Tsar Vespa and Gallus glanced at one another uncomfortably, a little reluctant to continue the question. Still, Tsar Vespa persisted.
"What happened?"
Jamie averted his gaze from them, his expression distant.
"My family had revealed to the world that we shared a blood relationship with one of the highly-ranked immortals, were descended from his sister. It was so that we could act as ambassadors and teachers to help the people get used to knowing that immortals were real, and encourage people to use the life-changing technology that Aster was willing to teach them how to build. That made us a target for certain anti-immortal fanatics... During my sister's graduation from Art School, three such men attacked. When her best friend was about to be shot for getting in the way, Sophie sacrificed her life to save her."
Jamie gritted his teeth at the memory. "I was in denial. I couldn't bear to think my sister was dead. Jack spotted what I'd done right away, and carried her off to some friends who could keep an eye on her until she woke up. I didn't know for myself until he came back, with this pendant from Tsar Lunar."
Jamie touched the spiral pendant he's wearing. Meanwhile Tsars Gallus and Vespa at aghast at the mention of such violence.
"People on your world kill each other?"
It was clearly an utterly alien concept to them, and Jamie sighed.
"As I said, my world has only recently become unified. A great deal due to my own work after I became Tsar Solus, and also the work of the immortals helping me. It will still be a number of decades, before it can be expected the Earth and its people will be as peaceful as your worlds are. Once the previous generations and their prejudices have grown old and gone, to be replaced by their more open-minded successors. Our immortals are putting a lot of work in, to inspire all future generations."
Tsar Gallus mused over that, comparing it to what history he knew of the more recent additions to the Allegiance. They too once had their share of violent minorities, until understanding and open-mindedness had been embraced by all those who lived there. And too, that change had come thanks to the work of the first few immortals on such worlds.
"Have you many immortals on your world?"
Jamie settled back into his seat, allowing himself to relax a little. Setting aside the painful memories and instead focusing on the present. As a result, he was quite frank about the numbers.
"Close to three thousand of them, divided roughly half and half between Legends and Naturals." Seeing their stare, and remembering it had been mentioned that just a hundred to two-hundred was the norm for the Old Golden Age, Jamie cleared his throat. "Well we uh... We had Pitch on the planet for fifteen thousand years. Tsar Lunar was obviously just being careful."
Tsars Gallus and Vespa looked rather stunned.
"But all the immortals in our recorded history were notorious for fits of temper and grudges with one another, no matter how good natured they were in general or in their mortal life. Some called it the 'downside' of immortality that relies on the belief of others. How do you get so many of them to work together without squabbling?"
Jamie shrugged, his tone bland.
"Oh they squabble, but they also have a strict code of conduct to follow. I understand from talk with some of them, that their bi-centennial conferences can be rather 'interesting'. They last for up to twenty-four hours, so everyone can reaffirm one-by-one their oath to uphold that code. Breech of the code would result in their powers being totally stripped, and being shunned by all their peers. So far that's never happened, and they just get on with their jobs. Current gossip has it that Earth's Mother Nature is putting serious consideration into holding the conference every fifty years instead of every two-hundred. Too much happens these days, to leave gaps so big between them. If she changes it, the next conference will be in nine years."
Tsar Vespa now looked somewhat bewildered.
"You world sounds rather complicated."
"It is, but as my uncle would say. Where would the fun be if it were simple?"
At Jamie's wry smile, and the mention of an uncle, Tsar Vespa frowned a little.
"I mean no offence, but your uncle sounds rather odd."
Jamie chuckled.
"He's three-hundred and forty-nine years old. He'd argue he has a right to be strange."
Both men blinked, Tsar Gallus speaking.
"He's how old? Is he a wizard perhaps?"
Jamie also blinked, realising he'd confused them rather.
"Oh, he's not actually my uncle. He's my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-uncle. His sister is my ancestor, and he kept contact with us after he became an immortal."
Tsar Gallus, relaxing
"Ah, he's one of your world's immortals. The one you mentioned your family was related to. That makes sense then."
Jamie tried and failed not to smirk.
"He's also in the room next-door."
There was silence, then Tsar Vespa pointed slowly to the door.
"The Guardian of Fun you brought with you?"
Jamie nodded, cheerful.
"That's him... Most powerful immortal on Planet Earth, other than our Mother Nature. Which I guess means it makes sense, since both he and I found out two weeks ago that he's also a Constel. Tsar Lunar kept that fact hidden up his sleeve all this time. Pitch really had no clue what he was up against, and he underestimated how clever Tsar Lunar was with his choices."
Tsar Gallus, after glancing at Tsar Vespa, remarked in bemusement.
"Then it would appear we have far more to learn from him and you, than just how to create immortals."
~(-)~
The following morning dawned bright, enough so for Jack to squint against the reflected glare when his head broke the surface of his 'pile of snow' bed.
He had to hand it to the local Constellations. Once they knew they were dealing with a Spirit of Winter, he'd been shown to the coldest of the Citadel's guest rooms. It was literally like an icebox, sub-zero, frost and ice sculptures decorating everything, the room set to cater to any guests from icy worlds where cold was preferred to warm for sleeping arrangements.
Of course the bed was modified. He'd asked for the normal one to be take out, and for a large square tray to replace it. He'd then filled that with snow and settled down for a comfortable and undisturbed night's sleep... Well as undisturbed as is possible when the local winds keep 'tapping' on your windows to get your attention.
Climbing out of his pile of snow, then whisking it smooth as he would back home, Jack at last relented and opened one of the windows. Allowing the winds in, where they then swirled around him in curiosity that rapidly changed to excitement. A Spirit of Winter! It had been so long since they'd had any Spirits of the Seasons to talk to and be friends with! They remembered them, the ones from before. They remembered the days when they died, killed by Fearlings. The Spirit of Winter back then, she'd been so gentle and kind. They missed her and the others so much.
But now he was here!
Jack paused, expression pained as their whispered memories and feelings touched his heart, then reached out his hands to them. His tone kindly-coaxing, as he would be with young children who got overexcited to the point they might do something very silly.
"Hey hey, I'm happy to meet you too, but I'm not your new Spirit of Winter. I'm just visiting. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll get a new one soon. And if you're good, I'll make time to come a play with you before I have to go home."
The winds slowed in their circling, disappointed. A single wistful query reaching him.
'Promise?'
He smiled, fingers petting the air-currents as mortals would stroke a cherished pet.
"I promise. I'll make sure we have lots of fun, so you have happy memories to think about until you get your new Spirits of the Seasons." He gestured towards the window. "Now go on, I have to get ready. I'm supposed to be meeting up with everyone at breakfast."
The winds left, if a little reluctantly. It was best the winds didn't see him conjure up a little puff of a draft inside the building, to ask it to lead him to the others. Conjured ones weren't 'proper' winds, but rather his power acting through the air around him. The 'real' winds might be annoyed he'd not asked them for directions.
He followed his little puff of air through mostly empty passageways. The Citadel was large but only had a handful of staff, and the equally small number of guards were for the most part ceremonial. Or at least that's what he assumed, because in the eyes of his own extensive experienced of warfare on Earth... this lot would fall flat in a pillow fight. He had to assume all the best soldiers were members of the Constellation Fleets, who had guarded the Allegiance all this time.
Jack continued to muse through a variety of topics on his way through the building, his mind flitting between one thought and another like an errant butterfly. He arrived at the modest dining-room not too long after, entering just as Tsar Gallus told his peers about the number of immortals that Earth had.
Tsarina Anser gasped in astonishment, glancing between Bunny, Jamie, and Tsar Lunar.
"So many?"
Tsar Lunar, now in a smart suit instead of his formal robes, took a sip of his tea and nodded.
"The Earth is an exception, and large numbers of immortals were needed to help offset the presence of the Fearlings. The greater their activity became or was likely to become, the more immortals I created to counterbalance it. Staying to a mere two-hundred was simply not an option."
Jack came to a stop near the table, eyebrows raised.
"Is it true the worlds in the Old Golden Age never had more than two-hundred immortals each?"
Made aware of Jack's arrival, Tsar Noctua answered him.
"Yes. It was discovered early on during the Golden Age, that immortals can become very competitive with each other. Numbers were restricted to reduce disruption."
Jack mulled over that, raising his eyebrows as he settled into an empty chair.
"That must have been dull."
From across the table, in response to that blasé remark, Bunny threw a spoon at him. Jack ducked it effortlessly, then retaliated with a snowball that nailed the Pooka right in the face.
Tsarina Anser chuckled at their antics, while her peers remained uncertain what to make of it.
"Well I find it quite intriguing. I truly must make time to visit your world for myself. Perhaps for that conference, if it is held in nine years time."
Jack grinned at that, chuckling.
"Well if you do attend it, I recommend bringing a book or two. It gets boring very very quickly." She looked around at everyone, confirming that those who actually required to eat had finished their food. "If everyone is done, perhaps we can set off? I've arranged for Lord Wyatt to take our guests on a tour of Lunestra."
Tsar Lunar got to his feet, smiling even as Jamie did likewise.
"It would be a pleasure. My memories of this world are hazy fragments from a childhood long gone, and Jack and James have of course never seen this place before. It would be good for them to see it, before the requirements of duty intrude other tasks into our limited time here."
The Tsarina clapped her hands in delight.
"Wonderful! I will have a carriage brought to the main entrance at once."
Jack watched her hasten from the room, amused and cheered by her bright nature. Out of the five local Constellations, he had a feeling she was the only one who had immediately adapted to knowing the Fearlings weren't a threat anymore and that Pitch Black was gone. She was just so happy-go-lucky, and so generous at heart. The other four were still getting their heads around the news, but she was arranging sightseeing tours.
She did nothing to disprove his assessment of her over the course of the next two hours, with her bright and happy chatter a counterpoint to Wyatt's slightly ironic 'tour guide' speeches. She had him piloting the flying carriage too and fro, to places she thought of at the spur of the moment. Interrupting the route they were supposed to be taking, until eventually the Pooka gave up on the original itinerary and simply asked her 'where to next?' each time they got back into the vehicle.
Jamie wasn't complaining about the haphazard tour, he was enjoying the sights far too much, and Tsar Lunar enjoyed her enthusiasm equally as much. Bunny also helped with the tour, remarking on things that had changed since his last time on Lumeris over fifteen-thousand years previous. He was the one who suggested showing Jamie the Wish Shard; the monument built to commemorate the Founding of the original Golden Age.
It was located on a plaza next to a large park, and was made up of hundreds of interlocking crystals all twined with golden filigree. There also happened to be a large chunk of history relating to when, how, and exactly why it was built. Wyatt and Bunny began to explain it, interrupted frequently by remarks from Tsarina Anser, but Jack found himself only half-listening. Because another sound had reached him, and it was one that never failed to draw him in.
He could hear children in the park.
Unable to resist, Jack slipped away from the group and flew off to land near the largest congregation of children. Edging closer and closer to them.
They didn't immediately notice him, and while the lingering shadows of fear of Fearlings was lifting thanks to the recent news, their play was still a bit tentative whenever they strayed close to a shadow. Seeing that, it was totally against the grain for Jack to ignore their need.
Back at the monument, Jack's absence was finally noticed some fifteen minutes later. It was Bunny who noted the nearby shrieks of childish laughter, and headed to where the plaza overlooked the park.
About a hundred children had gathered into one area, and were playing some sort of massed game. Darting about among them, around them, and through the air over their heads was Jack. The Guardian was grinning widely as he played with them.
Bunny smiled, and chuckled at the sight.
"Shoulda known... Making kids laugh is what Jack lives to do. Nothing makes him happier than making them happy. This might not be our world, but he's still a Guardian of Childhood. I'm not surprised he couldn't resist." He turned back to face the others. "We should get going, and finish the tour for Jamie and Tsar Lunar."
Tsarina Anser walked up to the wall, looking out over the park in confusion before she glanced at the Pooka.
"You aren't going to retrieve your colleague?"
Bunny shook his head, still smiling.
"Nah, leave him to it. Let him have fun, because later he's going to be working with those groups of candidates you brought. And as the saying goes on Earth... All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy."
~(-)~
Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehe :)