Spirit of the Sword: Pride and Fury (The First Sword Chronicles Book 1) (18 page)

 "I can recite the whole of the Epic of Aurelia for you if my lord would care to hear it," Michael said. It was not his favourite - it was, after all, the one where Gabriel died - but it was a thrilling tale nonetheless and one of the best in the Coronim Cycle. Michael cleared his throat to begin. "Sing, O Muse who dwells on high Parnennion, of-"

 "Thank you, Michael, but I don't think we have time for that now," Gideon said quickly. "It is enough to know the circumstances of Aurelia receiving her power from the hands of the gods, and that she was gotten with child by Gabriel, Prince of Corona. Do you know what happened to the child?"

 Michael nodded. "After the Eldest One was defeated, Aurelia was proclaimed High Queen of Pelarius by the heroes who had followed her, sovereign over all the realms. Her son, named Gabriel after his father, succeeded her to the High Throne when Aurelia died."

 Gideon said, "And then?"

 "Aurelia's granddaughter was a tyrant, my lord, and her great-grandchildren, born without the magic of the line, lost the throne when the nations of Pelarius rose up against them. All perished save for Lucretia, heir to the high throne, who hid her children with a kindly herdsman and his family before fleeing to Corona to claim the High Queenship for herslef. For Corona had alone of all nations, remained loyal to her and to Aurelia's line, such is Corona's honour and fidelity."

 "Yes, well..." Gideon muttered dryly.

 "The Turmeian and Antigenean armies came to slay Lucretia, and overthrew Corona's Firstborn on the field of Ceiron," Michael continued. "Then Ameliora, daughter of Simon and Miranda, put on her splendid armour one last time-"

 "Ahem." 

"Apologies, my lord. After Ameliora's death in battle Lucretia surrendered herself rather than see Davidheyr be sacked. She went to her execution with courage befitting her noble line," Michael said. 

"And then?" Gideon asked.

 "In faith, my lord, I know not save that it must have led to our Miranda somehow," Michael replied. He grinned. "I always knew Miranda had a great destiny before her."

Gideon nodded. "Indeed. For many years after Lucretia's death the peoples of Pelarius remained in fear of the Aurelian magic, of its potential for devastation if turned to ill intent. As Lucretia's descendants multiplied in hiding, some of them regained the magic their forebears had lost. All those found were put to death." 

"Even if they had done no wrong?" Michael asked. "'Tis barbaric, lord." 

"Perhaps," Gideon said. "Certainly the Empire has pursued no such policy, but I think that owes as much to greater remove as to greater wisdom. In any case, one of Aurelia's descendants was a man named Cassander, who was determined to save his people if he could. He gathered up fellow Aurelians, as many as could be found, and took them to a fortress he established in northern Deucalia and named Aureliana. Cassander was himself possessed of the magic, as were some others, and that power united was sufficient to ensure that they would be disturbed.

"In time it became less a case of being undisturbed by violent neighbours and more of coercing those neighbours with the threat of magical violence. Turma, Antigenea, Secaenia, Deucalia, even Corona fell under the spell of the Aurelians, who became known as cunning politicians and manipulators of men and nations. Though never a large city, Aureliana became the dominant power in the region even as its people remained shut away from the outside world so that none might know how few of them truly possessed the godlike power that held the world in awe.

"And then the Empire entered their world. Whether they were aware of us beforehand I do not know, but I would guess they found little to trouble them in news of wars away in the west, or even of the fall of Tarquinia and Argonia, states remote to them and little known. In any case, by a little more than five and a half centuries ago the Empire had conquered all the states that had bowed before the Aurelian might, or rather the shadow of it. If the Aurelians had been aware of the Divine Empire before that then they cannot have learned much of its customs for they expected to browbeat and bully the Empire as they had the states that had come before it. They were shocked when the Prince-Imperial demanded their submission to the purple throne.

"There was in Aureliana at that time but one person, Cynane by name, who possessed the Aurelian magic. Under instructions from the Prince of Aureliana, she used her power to destroy the city of Demodocia, and Prince Demetrius was informed that Eternal Pantheia would follow if he did not submit to the Aurelians. His Highness declared that he would share in the fate of the capital while he ordered his army to march on Aureliana and put its people to the sword."

 "Was that wise, my lord?" Michael asked. "To stand up for one's cause, to risk death for it, is a fine and noble thing; but for a great prince to risk the destruction of his city and the death of his people for no purpose is foolhardy."

Gideon affixed him with a cold, unwavering gaze. "We are the Empire, Michael, tasked by Aegea herself to spread justice to all lands and peoples. 'This is your destiny, my precious son, my brave and faithful children: to rule all peoples by command, to order their lands and impose on them the custom of peace; to lift up the humble and wear down the proud with arms. And be just, as I have taught you justice.' We do not submit to threats, no matter the power which backs them.

 "Fortunately, Cynane was sickened by the destruction she had wrought and fled Aureliana in secret. Her people could not find her. They were defenceless when the Imperial Army arrived. Aureliana was besieged, stormed and sacked. All those within were killed, save one: Quirian."

 "But you said yourself this was five hundred and fifty years ago my lord," Michael said. "How could the same man still be alive after all this time?"

 Gideon paused for a moment. "The barbarian tribes of Mavenor believe that if you eat the heart of another man then you obtain all that man's bodily abilities: strength, speed, years of life. A disgusting practice. They're absolutely right of course but still, quite disgusting. Quirian has devoured so many that not only has he probably achieved practical immortality by now but he has done so while not appearing to age a day over thirty five.

 "I am glad you told me this after we ate, my lord," Michael said, feeling his stomach. "For now I fear I have lost my appetite. If I may, I still do not understand what Quirian wants with Miranda. If she were Aurelia reborn then I might understand wanting her for a weapon, but all Miranda can do at present is heal wounds. Valuable as that is, is it worth such manoeuvres to obtain her?"

 "Some might say so," Gideon said. "But you not quite correct, healing is all Miranda could do when last you saw her."

 "It has been but three nights, my lord."

 "Quirian intends to develop Miranda's power, to make her into, as you put it, an Aurelia reborn. Then he will use that power to destroy the Empire."

 Michael shook his head. "Even if she could do so, Miranda would not."

 "Do not be so certain," Gideon said. "Quirian is very persuasive."

 "I do not frankly care if he is Joseph Silvertongue reborn, I am her brother and I know my own sister well enough to say she will not deal out death and mayhem on the word of any man," Michael snapped. He and Miranda had not always gotten along, but he thought he could say that of her. Miranda was proud, sometimes, self-righteous, yes, and narrow-minded on occasion; but she had never been cruel, nor had she ever loved pain or bloodshed. That was him, not her. She would not do it, not for gold nor glory. 

Michael rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I apologise for my unseemly outburst, lord, I was rendered out of myself by worry. Punish me as you see fit." 

"I see fit not to," Gideon said. "As for the rest: I believe you. I have little choice but to believe you, given that you know Miranda and I do not. But that does not improve things: Quirian will offer her the chance to aid him, but if she does not he will kill her and take her power for himself." 

"Take her..." It was with great resolve that Michael beat off the desire to wretch. "You mean he will cut out Miranda's heart and eat it?" 

"Fortunately it is not quite that simple," Gideon said. "Her powers are not yet at their fullest, and I believe Quirian still desires to win her to his cause of her own volition. In any case, the unique nature of Miranda's powers makes stealing them a more difficult undertaking. And that gives us time to yet win all.

"Miranda's power is a mingling of the magics of body, mind and spirit. Simply eating her heart would be completely pointless because of that fact. Thanks to the need to maintain that combination, matters are a little more complex.

"There are three kinds of magic: body, mind, spirit. Magic of the Body is sometimes called elemental magic, and refers to magic granting the mage - this is the magic performed by mages - power to manipulate earth, air, fire, wood or lightning by effort of will.

"Magic of the Mind is also called Sorcery, performed of course by sorcerers, and relies upon the use of memorised spells channelled through conduits such as wands or staffs in order to achieve the desired results.

"Magic of the Spirit is the most powerful of all the kinds of magic, though also the one which Miranda possesses least of relative to the others. Use of it is complicated, but at its heart the spirit warrior steps out of his or her body and into the realm of the spirit, while still standing sufficiently in the mortal plane to use said spirit to influence events. Do you follow me so far Michael?" 

"Um," Michael frowned. "Somewhat, my lord; spirit magic rather confuses me." 

"Never mind that now," Gideon said. "In order to take Miranda's power for himself, Quirian requires a very specific weapon: one of the Godslayer blades forged by the Young Gods to defeat their parents. Fashioned out of thunderbolt iron and wrought about with spells to absorb the strength and souls of their enemies and trap them within the weapons. If Quirian slays Miranda with such a blade then her soul and consciousness and all her magical power, whether it be elemental, sorcery or spirit magic, will be trapped within the sword and, so long as he holds the sword, Quirian will be able to draw upon all of it, added to his own already prodigious strength and all the power that is within the sword already."

"But the Godslayers were destroyed by the gods themselves when they abandoned mankind, my lord," Michael said. "So that none could ever turn them against the Novar themselves."

 "So it is said, and so I believe to be the case, largely," Gideon said. "Unfortunately it appears that not every single sword was destroyed: Quirian and I believed based on memory and written account that the Aurelians had possessed the sword of Cupas, Semper Fidelis. It was not taken by the army during the sack - or at least it is not recorded, and such a find would have been difficult to keep secret - and so it seems most likely that the sword is still there, hidden in the ruins. We must find it before Quirian does."

 "But surely Quirian will have gotten the sword from Aureliana long since?"

 "He cannot," Gideon said. "When Cynane learned of the city's destruction, she returned to her home and cast a spell over it that none but her bloodline should be able to find the place. Quirian cannot return to Aureliana without one of Cynane's descendants to guide him."

 "Oh," Michael said. "I suppose that is your purpose is saving me then, my lord." It was childish, but he had hoped to be valued for his skills and qualities, not for his blood.

 "On the contrary Michael, I think you'll prove very useful to me in a great many ways. Perhaps you will even prove more useful to the Empire than myself."

 Michael started to shake his head, before something Lord Gideon had said earlier caught up with him. "My lord, you said 'Quirian and I believed...' I do not understand what you meant by that."

"Ah," Gideon said bashfully, looking down at this feet for a moment. "I think I said rather too much there. Did you not wonder, Michael, how a Lord of the Commenae came to be out in the provinces alone and dressed like a tramp? Or how I know so much of his plans? The truth is that I knew Quirian, I was suspicious of him when he came to court and, when I found out what he was, I decided that the best course would be to spy upon him further.

"I convinced Quirian that I was a willing ally, resentful of the achievements of my elder brother Bardas and the resultant fame and praise showered upon him. Quirian took me into his confidence, and it was then that I learned about his past, his plans, and about Miranda and what he would need to do to take her power for his own. Unfortunately, before I could move against Quirian, he discovered that I was not the friend he had thought me. He killed Bardas while pinning the blame upon me; I had to flee Eternal Pantheia before I was arrested and put to death. I have spent the last ten years roaming the Empire attempting to stop him...without much success."

 "Because no one will believe you after you have been so accused," Michael said. "I am sorry about your brother, my lord. Truly, I know how hard it is."

 "It's all in the past now, think nothing of it," Gideon said, with studied casualness. "Only the Empire matters now."

 Michael's brow furrowed. "You are not alone any more my lord. I know so great a lord and fierce a soldier as the Empire's First Sword has little need for a gladiator's help, but I beg you to accept the offices of this poor bondsman for as long as you may require them."