Act 1, Part 2: Prodigious
Heinrich made his way through the dense clearing. It had been quite a few years since he had come to Ellinia, and so he'd forgotten how the forest could be a labyrinth to those who didn't know where they were going. The Sylphs were quite a reclusive race, and generally weren't fond of outsiders. It was entirely possible that they had purposefully hidden their town in the most inaccessible depths of the forest. From what he could recall from his studies, Ellinia had been founded nearly five centuries ago by the first settlers of Victoria Island. Those settlers had mainly been refugees of Ossyria who had landed in Ellin Forest quite by accident, as they had originally been heading for the southern plains – a region where the capital of Henesys would later be founded.
As it happened, he had met one of those original pioneers – Athena Pierce, a founder of Henesys and the head of the Bowman Instructional School. During his meeting, he had learned that Athena had even had a hand in the creation of Ellinia, as she had fostered positive relationships with Ellin the Fairy Queen, a Sylph who had come into power shortly after the refugees of Ossyria had arrived. Ellin had been quite receptive to her human neighbors, even having modified their system of government into a democratic monarchy in the hope that it would give their human citizens more representation. Regrettably, however, humans being a clear minority had resulted in many laws that disadvantaged them, and as a result, nearly all humans had left Ellinia in favor of other towns like Henesys or Kerning City.
Nevertheless, one particular human had attained a coveted position in the fairy government, the man whom Heinrich had come to see – Grendel the Elder. Many humans, and even many fairies, viewed Grendel as a bridge between the two cultures, as Grendel had been adopted and raised by a Sylph family. No one knew how he had ended up in Ellin Forest, nor did they know the fate of his human parents, but his Sylph family had gone to great lengths to protect the infant Grendel, even in spite of the extremist policies of Queen Ellin's predecessor, the dreaded Queen Ephenia, who had ordered the extermination of all humans in the fairy forest.
Grendel had grown to become a great magician, with some speculating that his prodigious talent had come from learning the secret magic of the Sylphs. Heinrich suspected that there was some truth in the rumors, as Grendel had somehow come by the ability to enhance his lifespan to match that of most fairies, having lived for centuries since the founding of Victoria Island. Grendel was known as "Grendel the Elder" for his position as an elder on the Ellinia Royal Parliament, but the moniker had soon come to be synonymous with his age. More than one person, including Grendel himself, had joked that the day would soon come when he'd be known as "Grendel the Ancient", or "Grendel the Old", with one of his younger apprentices even suggesting "Grendel the Really Old".
As a representative of both cultures, Grendel had pushed for many reforms in Ellinia, including the irrigation system of pipes that flowed from the tallest and thickest vines of the forest, which brought clean water to the city for fairies and humans alike. As Heinrich made his way through the forest, he took some time to appreciate the complex system of pipes, many of which had been magically augmented to make water flow up against gravity. That he had come across the pipes meant that he was close to his destination. Sure enough, he saw the fairy town in the heights of the foliage. He also noticed wooden planks hastily nailed to the trees and realized that they were meant for humans to reach the city, as fairies had no need to walk when they had wings.
Twenty minutes of climbing later, Heinrich arrived in Ellinia proper. Though it was hard to see from the ground, the actual city was breathtaking. Dozens of fairies fluttered in the air, their shimmering wings catching against the light. The treehouses themselves were fairly rustic, but charming in their own way. More than one fairy had to swerve in order to dodge him.
"Watch it!" one cried. "Ugh, humans are so tall for no reason. And slow too."
"My apologies," Heinrich said good-naturedly. Having ample experience with fairy rudeness, he told himself to take it in stride. "Might I trouble you and ask where I might find Grendel the Elder?"
"No." the fairy said before fluttering off.
Heinrich shook his head. He wondered whether asking one of the human residents might yield better results. The trouble was, there were hardly any humans around. He looked around to see the familiar shape of a person, but found only fairies darting here and there. He then had the idea to ask around in a store. Ducking his head into the fairy-sized doorway, he entered the general store and approached the counter.
"Buzz off," said the fairy at the desk. She barely looked up from her magazine. "Fairies only."
"But there's no one here," Heinrich said. "Besides, I'm not here to buy, I only have a que-"
"Even worse. I don't have time to entertain window shoppers, can't you see that I'm busy?" she snapped before lifting the magazine to cover her face.
Heinrich sighed. This was going to take some finesse.
"I was only going to say that I had a question about the price of this crystal." he said.
That got her attention. "What kind of crystal?" she asked suspiciously.
He took out a purple crystal. "It just so happens that I've come across a Wisdom Crystal during my last trip to Orbis."
"Humans are such liars. Orbis is closed," the fairy said briskly. "You must have stolen it."
"Perhaps I did, perhaps I didn't." He didn't, but that wasn't important. "But Orbis isn't closed to fairies, is it? I'm sure that no one would question how you came across it."
"Let's say that I'm interested," the fairy said, eyeing the crystal. "How much do want for it?"
"No money, just information. I'm looking for Grendel the Elder. Do you know where I can find him?"
The fairy's eyes narrowed. "That's all?"
"That's all."
"Show it to me first. To make sure this isn't some human trick."
Heinrich hesitated. He knew what was going to happen here. The fairy would take the crystal and refuse to say a word. She'd probably even claim that he'd been trying to steal it, and in Ellinia, who would believe the words of a human? The crystal itself wasn't important – he had dozens of them – but he wanted to avoid hunting down Grendel for the next several hours if he could help it. He wondered whether it was time for him to play that card. It wasn't something that he liked to use, but if it could save him some time, it might be worth causing a scene. He tentatively reached for his bandana, which was carefully wrapped around his ears.
"My boy, is that you?"
Heinrich turned around to find Grendel standing at the entrance. The fairy immediately stopped slouching against the counter and sat upright.
"Master Grendel," she squeaked. "What an honor to have you here."
"Come," he laughed. "No need for such formalities here. I'm merely a guest in your fine shop today."
"Master Grendel," Heinrich grinned. "I've been looking for you."
"I was just about to help him out," the fairy said quickly. "He was asking around for you."
"Indeed?" Grendel's grey beard twitched in amusement. "As it happens, I realized that I overlooked just how tricky navigating Ellinia could be to visitors. I hope that my mistake did not pose too much of an inconvenience, Heinrich?"
"No, sir," Heinrich said. "I would've found my way eventually."
"I'm glad to hear. The best magicians are those who possess a certain level of flexibility, and an ability to flow with nature. I often send my apprentices on scavenger hunts through the forest for that reason precisely. Having a sense of direction is important in life, especially when you're late for an appointment," he chuckled.
Heinrich felt his face turn pink, though he knew that Grendel wasn't really upset. He turned back to the fairy.
"Apologies for taking up your time," he said. "Please, take the crystal for your troubles."
The fairy grinned and swiped the crystal from his hand. He resisted the urge to sigh. He'd only offered it to be polite, even though the decent thing would've been for her to graciously decline. Leave it to a fairy to never let a good thing go to waste, especially when it came at the expense of a human. He and Grendel left the shop and began the walk to his home.
"I hope that the Sylphs weren't too rude," Grendel said. "I fear that we're still quite a way from the kind of community that Ellinia was made to be."
"It's no problem," Heinrich replied. "Orbis is the same, for the most part."
"Have you been back there recently?" Grendel asked.
"I'm afraid not. At least, not since after they've closed their borders." Heinrich replied.
"Surely they haven't banned you from your own home."
"I'm a special case, and so I'm still welcome there, of course. But my time in Leafre has kept me fairly occupied, I'm afraid."
"I'm eager to hear all about it," Grendel said. "I keep up with Chief Tatamo, of course, but letters can't replace the thrill of hearing it in-person."
Heinrich laughed. "It's not as glamorous as Tatamo makes it sound. It turns out that most of dragon hatching is just sitting and watching the egg for hours. It's important work, of course, but when I first got to Leafre, I'd hoped for something more…"
"More exciting?" Grendel asked.
"That too, but a bit more impactful," Heinrich explained. "I know that the work they do is important, but it's not quite what I was hoping to delve into."
Grendel chuckled. "You're quite an oddity amongst magicians, Heinrich. Most magicians your age dream of being able to do field research with dragons, wyverns, magical beasts of great power. But I see that you still have the old dream. An admirable one, at that, and one that's tragically overlooked."
"I agree, and it's even the reason why I went to Leafre. I think that the Halflingers have a lot more to offer than just their knowledge of dragons. They have a beautiful symbiosis between their society and the natural world. One protects and the other nurtures. The Halflingers have no magic, but they still live in harmony with the most powerful creatures in the world. What I want more than anything else is to study that relationship, to learn how it can be applied to the rest of Maple World. You and I have seen how it is with fairies, we've both been raised by them. They respect us only because we've been brought up in their ways. In their eyes, they've 'fixed' us from our human shortcomings. I've been blessed with insight into their culture, but I'm not blind to its faults. I believe that there can be a bridge between magical and non-magical races. And I really think I can make that change."
Grendel listened to Heinrich's passion with a mixture of amusement and impressment. The boy was still young, hardly in his early twenties, but he possessed talent and drive that far surpassed not only his peers, but many masters as well. Appearance-wise, however, he seemed no different from others around his age. His blue eyes lit up as he spoke, as fiery as his wavy orange hair tied up in a messy ponytail. A bandana wrapped around his ears, likely to cover them up. Grendel knew why Heinrich hid them, as they often attracted unwanted attention. He was surprised that the boy would hide them in Ellinia, where they would actually be an asset, but he decided not to question it, as he was sure that Heinrich had his reasons.
"A noble goal, my boy. And, as I'm sure you're well aware by now, a difficult one. But let us speak more about it over tea. We've just arrived."
Heinrich looked to find that they were at the entrance to a large library.
"We're having tea in a library?" he asked in confusion.
"A library… and my home," Grendel explained.
"I would've thought that a member of the Ellinia Royal Parliament would have a mansion or something." Heinrich teased jokingly.
Grendel laughed. "It was certainly offered to me. However, I'm first and foremost a magician. And magicians must never stay idle, not when there's knowledge to be uncovered. The library is available to the public, of course, but I stay in a room on the upper floor."
Heinrich opened the door and looked around in amazement. The building had been built around a large vine that pierced through the floor and wrapped itself around an enormous crystal. There were quite a number of bookshelves filled with books, some in standard script, others in runic languages, many of which Heinrich had never seen before. A magical spell circle pulsated in the air in front of the large crystal, with eight smaller circles of magic fading in and out in a round pattern around the large circle.
"I've never seen such a spell circle before," Heinrich said in awe.
Grendel smiled at Heinrich looking around like a child in a candy store. "I designed it myself. The smaller circles are made from Sylph runes, while the larger circle comes from human magic. It maintains the library autonomously so that it can work even without my presence. Books can be tracked so that they can't be stolen, and it makes it so that they're irremovable off-hours or if they're off-limits."
"That's… quite impressive. To have an entire autonomous system of magic. I'm so curious about the power source, the limitations, the-" He stopped himself. "Forgive me, if I start asking, I'm sure that we'll be here all day, and I doubt that you called me here so that I could interrogate you about your library."
"Quite all right, my boy," Grendel chuckled. "Curiosity is only natural, after all. But you're right, I've called you here for quite a different reason. Tea?"
Grendel raised his staff and created two teacups out of thin air. One floated to Heinrich, who graciously accepted it and sipped.
"Interesting flavor," Heinrich noted. "It's quite sweet."
"It's cactus flower, from Ariant," Grendel explained. "I happened to have picked some up on my way back from Magatia recently."
"Magatia? That's quite out of the way," Heinrich said with surprise.
"A fairly lengthy trip, but a necessary one. I'm sure you're familiar with the political situation in El Nath?"
"Sadly so. I'm afraid that news of the Tarheed threat has even reached Leafre. I can't imagine how awful it must be for the refugees, to have their homes destroyed and to be subjugated under a tyrant."
"The situation is grave indeed. I myself, along with the other leaders of Victoria Island, are in the process of a mitigation plan. We hope that it will alleviate some of the suffering there."
"What do you have in mind?" Heinrich asked curiously.
"We're establishing a training center in El Nath. Some of our best students will be teaching Explorers so that they can take care of the refugees, and to hunt down the monsters being riled up in the chaos."
"I see… and is that the reason why you've called me here?" Heinrich asked.
"I actually have not," Grendel said, causing Heinrich to frown in confusion. "Although, perhaps we'll come back to that topic in due time. No, what I've called you here for is something entirely different. Something that may even help you with your studies. Are you familiar with the Magatia Alchemy Society?"
"Of course," Heinrich said. "They practically pioneered the whole field. Only the greatest are asked to serve on the council."
"Indeed. Magatia has long been a hotbed of magic, both old and new. And its proximity to Ariant has been advantageous to them, as the desert holds many treasures conducive to the study of alchemy. However, that relationship may prove to be its undoing."
"How so? I would think that their relationship is mutually beneficial."
"At first glance, it would seem so. However, that relationship has grown… strained over the last several months. The Sultan, Abdullah IV, has been putting pressure on Magatia, exerting his considerable influence in an attempt to gain a stronger foothold in the city. Many fear that he's planning to annex Magatia as part of his kingdom. Should that happen, Ariant will have full monopoly over the field of alchemy. Magatia will fall into Abdullah's pocket and cease to serve the common good."
Heinrich remained quiet for a moment as he considered Grendel's words. Grendel gave him some time to reflect, but after a minute of silence, he decided to continue.
"Fortunately, however, arrangements have been made to prevent this. A dear friend of mine, Alcaster, is the president of the Magatia Alchemy Society and has invited Abdullah to the city in order to discuss the future of Ariant and Magatia's financial relationship. As a senior member of the society myself, I've been invited to attend the upcoming conference. And as it happens, my seniority has allowed me to bring a guest."
He smiled as Heinrich looked up incredulously. "You mean, I can attend the conference? But I thought that only the best mages of their field are welcome there."
"My boy, I've trained magicians for centuries now. Thousands have passed through my tutelage, and by now, I'd like to think that I've seen the full range of talent. We've known each other for a few years now, and even though you were never my apprentice, I don't believe that I've ever seen a magician as talented and passionate as you. The word 'prodigious' may even be used in this instance. And I confess, I even see a part of myself in you. Both of us have had unconventional upbringings. I was raised by the Sylphs, and you were brought up by the Nymphs. When we first met years ago, you had already mastered every field of magic that you had come across. Despite the difference in our age, I feel as though I'm talking to an intellectual equal. We may as well be old friends having a chat over tea."
Heinrich, who had averted his eyes at the unexpected praise, shifted uncomfortably. "You give me too much credit, sir," he mumbled. "There's so much that I've yet to learn."
Grendel nodded sagaciously. "True, true. Despite your talents, you are still quite young and inexperienced. But that is precisely why I chose to invite you. People like you are quite rare. Unique, even. Your dream to change the world is as magnanimous as it is admirable. And as your friend and, might I even add, a benefactor, I would like to give you the opportunity to learn more about the world that we live in. If you are to change the world, you must understand how to first appreciate its complex system of politics. People are connected to each other through government as much as they are through magic. When you've experienced as much as the world as I have, you'll see how both are very much the same."
Heinrich nodded in understanding. He saw what Grendel was trying to say, though if he had to confess, politics were something that existed outside the sphere of his interests. As a magician, he had hoped to understand the world through its arcane mysteries, not through mundane bureaucracy. But if what Grendel said was true, they weren't quite so different after all. And the old man was right, of course. It was foolish to think that he could change the world without even knowing the first thing about the institutions that would bring about that change.
"I understand," he said finally. "And I'd be honored to accompany you to Magatia."
"I'm glad to hear it," Grendel said in approval. He smiled playfully. "And worry not, I promise that the sights will make up for the hours of boredom in the committee chambers."
. . .
Abdullah IV was not a patient man. Nor did he have a sense of proportion. In his mind, he had been sitting for hours in the audience chamber, though he knew that his Vizier, Jaffar, would say something unhelpful, like how it had only been ten minutes. Ten minutes were more than enough time to be kept waiting. A court was meant to wait on their Sultan, not the other way around. The other ministers had already taken their seats, but Zaman, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, was absent. Abdullah drummed his fingers impatiently against the pillow on his throne. It was one of the hottest days in Ariant and he could feel the scorching heat even through the walls.
"What in the name of Nihal is taking that wretched man so long…" he asked aggressively.
Just as the words left his mouth, Minister Zaman rushed into the room, overburdened with a heap of scrolls in his arms.
"My most humble apologies, Your Majesty," Zaman stammered. He adjusted his grip on the scrolls threatening to spill out of his hands. "I was on my way when my office received urgent news."
"What news could possibly justify an hour of waiting?" he roared. It had been twelve minutes, but Vizier Jaffar knew better than to correct the Sultan when he was like this.
"It's Magatia, Your Majesty," he squeaked. "They've invited you to a conference. I have the scroll somewhere here."
Zaman fumbled around while trying to find the right scroll. All of them dropped spectacularly from his hands. Abdullah put a hand on his temple in resignation. It was a miracle that the fool didn't lose his own head. The other ministers bit their tongues in an attempt not to openly laugh. If Zaman wasn't so good at his job, Abdullah though, the man would have been exiled years ago.
"Ah, here it is," He cleared his throat before reading aloud. "We, the members of the Magatia Alchemy Society, humbly invite His Majesty Abdullah, Fourth of His Name, Sultan of Ariant, and Defender of the Nihal Desert, to a conference in Magatia pertaining to the financial relationship between the great kingdom and this humble city. We request to formally outline a treaty regarding the transaction of raw material and alchemical products. Enclosed are the details for the date and time. Sincerely yours, Alcaster, Third President of the Magatia Alchemy Society."
"The fools saved us the trouble of making a meeting of our own," laughed Cassim, Minister of Finance. "They must have realized that annexation is inevitable."
"Then your ears must be full of sand," said Shirin, the Minister of Defense. "They clearly want to solidity their autonomy."
"Read it again," Cassim said in annoyance. "'Great kingdom', 'humble city', they've implicitly deferred to us. They're practically throwing open their doors. They can clearly see which way the winds are blowing."
"They were being polite, idiot. Do you hope to get the Sultan to make a trip across the desert without being obsequious?"
"Enough," said Vizier Jaffar. "Zaman, your thoughts?"
"Er…" began Zaman. "It's not unexpected, I'd say. President Alcaster has always been pushing to remain neutral, but from what my office has been telling me, a considerable number of alchemists have been swayed to support the annexation. No matter his personal stance, the president only represents the society. If we can capitalize on those who support us at the meeting, there's a chance that our plans will go through."
Abdullah sat up from his throne. "Minister Cassim, tell me about the cache of Lidium ore that was recently discovered."
"Our miners have reported that there seems to be no end to it. That pocket was found somewhere outside the Desert of Red Sand. Some of our historical experts report that it's also close to where the lost city of Azwan once lay. I-"
Cassim stopped as Abdullah held up his hand and stood. The Ministers waited patiently for him to begin.
"That we've stumbled across such a bounty is a sign. Azwan was said to have countless treasures, all of which have been lost to the sands of time. But even now, they lie dormant, just waiting to be rediscovered. Nihal is mine by right, and everything in it. Azwan… Magatia… they belong to me. Its people are my people, even if they don't see it yet. Every Sultan since the great Abdullah the First has lost the desert, piece by piece, until here I stand, Abdullah IV… Sultan of a tenth of what his kingdom once was. I will correct my ancestors' failings and make Ariant whole once again."
"By your hand will our kingdom return to glory," Cassim said, clapping enthusiastically. "And I believe that our newfound Lidium supply will help accelerate Your Majesty's plan. The rate at which our Lidium is being mined and refined has been steadily increasing. As you already know, Lidium is perhaps the most crucial material for alchemy. Forged in the heat of the desert itself, Lidium is the power source for all alchemical products. That we have such a surplus of it now means that we can single-handedly finance the experiments of Magatia on an unprecedented scale. Every alchemist will be clamoring to sign away their city to us if it means that their projects get indefinitely funded."
"That's only if they don't see that they're signing away their independence," Shirin interjected. "Alchemists are nothing if not prideful. If they find out that we'd obstruct their ability to tinker away like children in a sandbox, they will take up arms. And if that happens, we'd have no choice but to take the city by force. As Minister of Defense, I'd rather that I don't find myself in the midst of a civil war like the one in El Nath."
Cassim scoffed. "Don't compare us to those fools. The desert heat makes us strong. Our people stand unified. The people of El Nath live scattered in the snow. Arguably, they're doing better for themselves now under the Huntsman King than they have in centuries."
"Be that as it may, quelling an uprising of master magicians isn't the same as putting down little villages. The situation could easily escalate, and then we'd have the Noblesses at our doorstep. It would take years to get out of that mess, and I'm sure that you can appreciate as Minister of Finance that funding a war isn't the same when your surplus product is useless to everyone but your enemy," said Shirin, smirking in satisfaction.
Cassim opened his mouth angrily to retort when Jaffar interrupted. "Both of you, be silent. The point has been made."
Zaman then spoke up. "Erm… about the Noblesses." He shifted uncomfortably as all eyes snapped back to him. "Historical archives suggest that the Noblesses are rarely sent from Ereve anymore, apparently all for the sake of protecting the Empress at her seat of power. That they haven't even been sent to El Nath when the situation there is so dire likely means that their numbers have been greatly overexaggerated… or that they're a standing army with no leader."
"Explain," Abdullah suddenly said.
"Well, Your Majesty, the Empress hasn't made a public appearance since the death of Empress Aria around five hundred years ago. The Senate claims that after the terrorist attack on Ereve that resulted in her death, they've been keeping the Empress in the capital for her safety, and that they're keeping the Noblesses to defend her. After five centuries, the Empress' authority is almost ceremonial at this point. Every law passed so far has been from the Senate, not one executive action on the Empress' part. Even the Noblesses who enforce global policy have rarely been seen in groups larger than a unit. I can't say for sure whether the Empress is still in power or not, but… I will say that there's almost no chance of an intervention if we end up going to war with Magatia."
"…Which means that Magatia is ours for the taking without the need for such roundabout methods," Cassim said slowly. He grinned. "I believe that such a plan has merit, Your Majesty."
"Are you dense?" Shirin cried, outraged. "Did you not hear me when I told you the situation?"
"The situation has changed. Without the intervention of the Noblesses, we can use the conference as a means to eliminate the president and his council. With the city leaders dead, our army can invade Magatia before they have the chance to retaliate."
"And what is the guarantee that the Noblesses won't intervene? Even if they sent a unit, the stories say that one Noblesse is worth a hundred men. Not to mention those flying beasts that they ride on. Watch them swoop into Ariant on those infernal birds and cut down this whole court before we can even call the guards! You should have stopped after proposing your first plan, at least that would have spared you the ridicule. Your Majesty, I believe that we can take Magatia bloodlessly through negotiation."
"And I believe that-" Cassim began.
"Silence!" roared the Vizier. "The Sultan has the final say."
Abdullah clasped his palms together and put them against his mouth, lost in thought. The other ministers watched in anticipation for the Sultan's next move. Shirin seethed in fury at Cassim. It irritated her to have to defend even one of his plans, but at least the fool had thought the first one out well enough. He had no business proposing war when he sat in his office, counting coins and taking bribes. He had never fought on the battlefield as she had, to have had comrades die in his arms.
Many years ago, an internal conflict had arisen in Ariant, with several outlying villages taking up arms against the young Sultan, who had just ascended to power. She had been part of the royal army's special forces at the time, and her strategic sense had allowed her to not only quell the uprising, but to even stop an assassination attempt on Abdullah, which had earned her a position on his court as Minister of Defense. Having been on the battlefield herself, she had vowed that she would do whatever it took to avoid another pointless conflict, even if it meant butting heads against fools like Cassim.
Abdullah finally spoke. "We will proceed as planned. We will attend the conference first and follow Minister Cassim's initial strategy to annex through negotiation. I am the Defender of the Nihal Desert and even these wayward alchemists are my subjects. I will not jeopardize the lives of my people out of rashness. Minister Zaman. Confirm our attendance. And make arrangements for our travel."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Zaman said.
All three of them, and the Vizier, bowed before leaving the audience room. Alone at last, Abdullah sighed. His ministers, while capable, were nothing more than a bunch of squabbling children. He had never been particularly fond of children and he wasn't looking forward to the day that his court would make arrangements for his marriage. He frequently told himself that it was a necessary part of being Sultan, though that didn't make it any less uncomfortable for him. He sometimes wondered whether other rulers thought as he did, though he had little opportunity to find out when Ariant was as insular as it was.
At least he could be sure that King Ludus of Ludibrium must think as he did, as the king was a toy, and a child at that. The thought that he was so similar to a plastic man wasn't a cheerful one, though he supposed that it could be worse. Some of his predecessors, his father included, had been quite infamous for having taken several wives at once, or committing infidelity. He had no intention of being like them. Being Sultan meant something more to him than simple hedonism, and he had long since pledged to be a better man than his father.
He recalled how his father had drunk and reveled himself into an early grave. His father hadn't been a popular Sultan, which had resulted in more than one uprising of the people. He himself had been the target of one such assassination, which had opened his eyes to the hate that his people had for their ruler. When he had been coronated at the age of 15, he had fired all his father's old advisors and had picked replacements from the common folk – from banks, the army, even museums. The people had gradually softened to him after seeing that he truly wanted the best for Ariant. And so, despite all his impatience and irritation, he was committed to seeing Ariant become whole, to fix the mistakes of his predecessors.
When he had been younger, he had often spent his days learning about the ancient prophecies of Azwan. He had been amazed at the legendary Shamanesses and their ability to see the future. No one knew where their abilities came from, though most contemporary scholars agreed that they had invoked the power of the desert spirits. One particular prophecy had stuck out to him as a child. Some said that it prophesized the corruption of Ariant's ruler, which would bring about the end of the Nihal Desert. Though his tutors had told him not to pay heed to nebulous legends, the prophecy had stuck in Abdullah's mind. To him, it spelled not the doom of Ariant, but the resurgence of its glory.
"From Ariant…" he thought, "It will begin again."