Reckoning (The Empyrean Chronicle) by Patrick Siana

good
faith he sends a man who, for all intents and purposes, is a royal prince.
    As for the possibility of a military alliance between
Ittamar and Aradur, such a campaign, for Aradur, would mean marching a thousand
miles across Erastes, or else up through the Spine of Agia and into the
northern climbs of Ittamar, only to march a thousand miles south again across
the Sheer and into Galacia. Again, it seems unlikely, particularly considering
the Aradur doesn’t want for wealth as it controls the eastern ports of Agia and
the spice trade.”
    Eithne grunted in concession to Ogden’s reasoning and he
continued. “Istvan was a hard, merciless ruler, but perhaps his son is a
different man, as your father was a gentler ruler than your grandfather. If
Baruch intends foul play he is sending his heir on a suicide mission. At this
point the other seven nations of Agia pose a greater threat to Galacia than
Ittamar. Weakened as we are economically and militarily, how long will it be
before one of our southern neighbors decides we’re easy pickings? We could use
Ittamar gold, and iron. My advice, Eithne: proceed with the meeting, albeit
cautiously.”
    Eithne looked hard at her chief counselor. She read only
candor in his sagacious countenance. She expected nothing else, but seeing it
written in the wrinkles of his face gave her strength.
    She stood, slowly, and walked toward the window. Throwing
back the curtains the queen looked out upon her lands. Lush, verdant hills
rolled lazily into fields of grain that undulated and gleamed like a golden
sea.
    “How will the court react to this decision?” said Eithne.
    “Most of the houses will balk at first, but many will find
their outrage tempered by the promise of gold and precious ore. We have never
had an abundance of either, and Phyra and Erastes charge us a heavy price in
grain for coin. Much of the gentry have deep pockets but they know how much two
reigns of bloodshed drained our coffers and armaments. They fear a raise of
taxes more than war. If we can trade for gold bullion from Ittamar we can mint
more of our own currency, instead of relying on foreign coin and debt notes. If
you appeal to their greed, you may earn the support of the influential houses.”
    “Very well, Ogden. In any case it will be an interesting
palaver come tomorrow.” Eithne Denar smiled thinly and continued to gaze out
her window. Trepidation held her heart in its icy grasp, while her stomach felt
like it contained a smoldering ball of lead. Eithne knew it essential that she
retain her tenuous control over the court. She would have to draft plans on how
to handle each House and Lord of consequence. She offered a quick prayer to the
One God and an invocation to her ancestors and father.
    “Ogden, send for drink and food. I have a feeling it’s going
to be a long day.”

Chapter 6
    Strange Awakenings
    Elias woke with a start, fists clenched and a scream on
his lips, as he emerged from the shadowed depths of a surreal dream-world characterized
by the ringing of steel and the dark glow of fell magic.
    Lar, who sat by his friend’s side through the night, flinched.
His chair tipped as he lumbered to his feet on legs numbed from having sat too
long. He thought to fetch the doctor, but Phinneas appeared in the doorway,
alerted by Elias’s cry. The two men exchanged glances before turning their
attention to Elias, each unsure how to proceed.
    Elias sucked in ragged breaths and his eyes darted back and
forth, heavy yet with the fog of sleep, before realizing he was safe at
Phinneas Crowe’s homestead. He blinked away the fleeting shreds of the
nightmare, which yet lingered—a place where someone called for him from a dark
dungeon, their voice shrill with fear, but the threads already eluded him,
dissolving in the light of day.
    Elias’s face crumpled as myriad emotions tore through him. To
Phinneas and Lar his expression was one of bewilderment, and while it was true
that he felt overcome, Elias knew one