CITY LORD AND LADY

  A carriage rocks through the city streets. The City Lord wonders out loud. “Wish I had more information about this summons. The messenger was not very forthcoming, nor was the missive he carried. I am not sure this was a good idea inviting yourself here. The summons was addressed to me, not the both of us. The tone of the missive was very abrupt. I hope we are not over stepping.” He says, keeping his voice low.

  “Nonsense,” she replies at the same volume, “This is Your city, and I am your wife.”

  “Imperial politics are on another level and we are ill equipped to play in this arena. This is where people lose their power, fortune, and many times their heads.” He tells her, with a dark look. The carriage pulls into the courtyard. In a louder, more upbeat voice. “Regardless, we are here. It is not too late to return yourself to our home.”

  Lord Franklin Zephyr climbs out of his carriage in front of the Imperial Manor. He scans the yard for threats; he spots the messenger from last night, awaiting him out front. A nondescript, average man. Average height, average weight, average looks, ‘Must be a skill of some kind. No one is that average.’ He thinks, forgetting about the man when he turns back to the carriage door to hand down his wife. He takes her arm to escort her to the door, and startles when he turns back to the front door, and spots the man again. ‘That is definitely a skill.’ He thinks.

  The average-looking man speaks up and introduces himself. “Lord Zephyr, welcome. His Imperial Majesty is expecting you. I am Imperial Lord Tolbur, aid to His Imperial Majesty. I will have Her Imperial Majesty informed we have an unexpected guest.” Lord Tolbur says with a blank, polite look at his wife.

  ‘Damn.’ he thinks. ‘It is almost like he knows she invited herself, how is that possible?’ He feels his wife inhale to retort. With a swift, subtle move, he tightens his hand on her arm to gain her attention. He gives his head a slight shake, muttering. “He possesses rank and is correct. This was a bad idea.”

  He and his wife pass into the manor. Lord Tolbur has a whispered conversation with an armed servant. Lord Tolbur turns to them and says,

  “Follow me please. I will escort you both to the Emperor’s study. Keep in mind this is an informal meeting but liberties will not be taken, you will conduct yourselves proper. Guards will be stationed outside the door. The room will be warded for privacy. Speak only truth while in the Imperial presence. Who knows you may both leave here alive.” Lady Zephyr’s face pales, while the City Lord’s steps falter. Tolbur continues walking, leaving the lord and lady to catch up. Tolbur stops before a large door. After knocking three times, he opens the door and announces to the room. “Your Majesty, may I present the City Lord Franklin Zephyr and Lady Victoria Zephyr.”

  The couple enter an office designed in dark woods and colors, giving the space a feel of gravity. The couple find a sturdily built man of average height, standing behind a large desk. The powerfully built man moves with the grace of a trained warrior to a different corner. One established as an informal lounge area. Both the City Lord and Lady kneel to the ruler of the nation.

  “Please rise and be seated.” Harold says to the couple. Once seated, the two face a window with bright morning sun light beaming into their faces. The couple, remembering Tolbur's warning, stiffen. Tolbur fades into a corner of the room where he can watch everything.

  The door bursts open, Bree enters the room accompanied by guard woman Lane Dorana. Turning to Tolbur, she asks. “Tolbur, will you please ensure that our guests are served tea in the private conference room.”

  Tolbur stepping forward, letting his drab look fade, revealing a well built, handsome man with green eyes and jet black hair, just under average height. Tolbur, smiling at the now guests, gives a slight nod of his head and asks them to follow. Showing them to a side door, leading to a cozy room lighted by large north-facing windows. Furnished with a pair of matching simple work desks, matching chairs, and bookshelves on two walls. All in a light colored wood with a dark grained pattern. Numerous books and stacks of paper fill the voids on the shelves. The desks organized, with several leather bound portfolios and documents on top of the work surface. It becomes clear this is a working space, and not some office space designed to impress visitors. “Please have a seat here, I will get some tea started.” Tolbur says to the couple.

  “What just happened?” a confused Victoria asks.

  Tolbur pauses, looking the couple over and tells them. “I am not sure. You are both still under investigation. Just keep your answers honest and direct. Sorry, that is the best advice I can give you. Their Majesties have some questions about a young man of your city you are involved with.” While Tolbur bustles around a tea set, the couple look around the new room.

  The door opens held by the guard woman, allowing the Emperor and Empress entry to the room. “Please be seated,” Harold says. Everyone sits. The guards woman moves to a corner and stands. Tolbur finished with the tea, sets the service on the table in front of the Empress, then places a clear sphere on a stand in the center of the table. Then moves to stand behind the city lord and lady.

  Lady Zephyr blurts out, “How is Tanner?” ‘Crap on toast.’ She thinks, ‘I just blew everything.’

  “Tanner is in excellent condition. He is healed and purged of any remaining Kraken venom.” The Empress replies. “I find your concern puzzling. Reports suggest you dislike the boy.”

  Harold tells the couple, “You are under investigation. An informal interrogation was about to take place. My wife has uncovered new information, so we have downgraded your questioning to an interview. The repercussions remain severe, albeit in a more relaxed setting. This is a truth stone,” showing the clear ball sitting on the table.

  “I am just a Knight, not the Emperor.” Harold announces. The ball glows a bright red. “You may both try it out, if you like.”

  Franklin straightens in his seat. “We are familiar with the process and the stones. Ask your questions and we will answer to the best of our abilities.”

  Harold nods his head and answers, “Very well, I do not want to interfere with governing your city. However, I need some clarification on a few matters. Against Imperial law, you have allowed a young orphan to reside at the city guards' barracks. The law serves to ensure securing the guard and the safety of the city. This has led to vulnerability for the guard and cities in the past. I would like to know why.”

  Zephyr takes a deep breath. “I see. Allow me gather my thoughts for a moment, I am not attempting to stall for time. I just am not sure where to start your Imperial Majesty. How much do you know about my Father?”

  “I have heard he was ambitious.”

  Zephyr responds with a disgusted laugh. “That is a very grave understatement. The rat bastard bribed the Delver’s Guild to let the city Dungeon evolve. Were you aware of that? Father stalled at level 299 for decades, stuck at Tier Three. My father had this mad plan to be in the Dungeon while it evolved from Tier Three to Tier Four. He came up with it after reading about people developing spontaneous Affinities around Dungeons when they evolved. He thought if the Mana pressure increased enough while he was inside, he would break through.” Zephyr’s voice trails off.

  Harold nods his head. “I know about the Dungeon evolution. I know the Church did a purge of the Delvers Guild, after these events. I was made aware of your Fathers influence in the guild. The Church, brought all of this to my attention, to gain permission for the purge. I was not aware of your fathers motivation.”

  “A lot of things happened that day, that never should have. Please continue, I am curious what Tanner has to do with all of this?” Bree asks.

  Zephyr gives a heavy sigh, looking down at his lap in shame. “Everything. Tanner’s parents were Jack and Janet Wilson, his mother was the ‘Dungeon Witch’, his father was the ‘Red Bear’. They left their party until Tanner was older. Tanner’s grandmother, His father’s mother, lived with the family. The couple would take on the occasional dungeon run. Tanner’s grandmother would watch over him while they were delving. My father forced Tanner’s mother into his party. He threatened to kill Tanner. He forced all the party members he went into the Dungeon with that day. The bastard never told them his mad plan. He murdered his party. They never came out.” Zephyr looks up from his lap and sighs. “This is my family's shame. There is so much more that happened that day. I found out all of this a few weeks after the Dungeon evolution. He wrote all of this down in his journals.” Zephyr looks up at the Emperor for the first time since he started his story. “I used to idolize my father. He was always kind to me, even when I failed to gain an Attunement.”

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  “You have been carrying the burden of your fathers sin’s for sometime. Please continue. There will be no judgments for you because of your father's actions. On my honor.”

  Zephyr nods at his ruler and continues. “We waited outside the Dungeon entrance, Tanner’s father for his wife, me for my father, and the rest of the parties' family and friends. Father and my guard escorts. The crazy bastard made my whole family come and wait for him. He even insisted Victoria show, we had just started seeing each other not serious yet. We waited a couple of hours. My mother noticed it first. The dungeon pillar distorted and changed colors. She started screaming. Monsters started flooding out. Tanner’s father, Jack Wilson, was the first to react. He jumped in front of the portal. He held for several seconds. It felt like years. I remember feeling a pressure on my body, it was like being underwater. It was the strangest thing. I could move. I wasn’t slowed, or even uncomfortable. I felt incredible, capable of anything. Energy was pouring into me. Then the worst head pain I ever felt in my life I thought I was hit. Then it was gone. It was an amazing feeling. I was so lost in the moment, I never even saw two of my guard go down, right next to me.” Zephyr looks into space for a few seconds lost in memory. “Sorry your Imperial Majesty, I’ve not looked back at that moment in my life for a few years. Too many feelings over my Father, I guess.”

  “What you have shared so far has been very illuminating.” The Emperor encourages. “This was when you acquired your Affinity?”

  “Yes it was, I did not know it was possible.”

  “It does happen, it is an rare event.” The Emperor replies.

  Zephyr continues. “Twenty-five of us of us gained an Affinity that morning on the first wave. My soon-to-be bride opened her Mind Gate, and gained the Elemental Affinity. (Rare) The current Chief Guard, Richard Smith, Body Gate, Brawn (Rare) Affinity, and myself Mind Gate, Sun (Rare) Affinity. None of our lives have been the same since that day,” Zephyr sighs again. “Back to the breakout. Tanner's father blocked the first monsters to emerge from the portal while sending out invitations and organizing a raid party all at once. My father's personal guard were right behind him by a few seconds. Tanner’s father held the middle, father’s guard split and lined up on either side of him. They held the first wave.” Zephyr looks the Emperor in the eye. “You should have seen Jack Wilson in action. By all reports he was not as good as his wife Janet. If it's true, she must have been impressive. Where ever he was needed, Jack Wilson was there smashing and hacking monsters, and shouting encouragement. He stood firm, a wall against the horde. We did not realize the Dungeon was splitting, evolution, and overflow. Jack Wilson had the raid lined up as soon as the first wave finished. I remember Jack said, ‘I don’t like the looks of that pillar something odd is going on.’ I had system alerts flashing. I did not know what was happening. Jack talked us through what was happening to us. Advised us on our new attributes and on our new Affinities. Gave us advice on where to take our builds, walked us though everything we needed and still continued organizing the raid. He was amazing. I could feel that strange pressure building again. Jack had us lower levels in the back, told the front line to cripple and then let them by, for us lower levels to finish.” Jack said, ‘Get them the levels. We are gonna need all the help we can get to contain this bitch.’ “We hit level 7. That first wave lasted all of fifteen minutes, Level 0 to 7, Goddess. The alarm had gone out and reinforcements started to arrive. The Guilds, the City guard, any delvers that were in the local area showed. Everyone was pulling together. We even had unattuned show up the help drag the wounded from the fight. It ignited a spark of inspiration. Jack got everyone organized. When the second wave appeared, we were ready, or so so we thought. The second wave was twice as powerful. I got my class after four kills, and by this time, we had a full raid of over 100. The experience was pouring so fast I could not keep up with the system alerts. The 25 of us just got our classes and were still adjusting. We lost fifteen off the back line when the wave began. Jack kept everybody focused. My mother died in that first wave, the rest of my family died with several of the wounded in the second wave. We lost five other defenders. I had some of the lower level guard moving citizens back, and evacuating the surrounding area. All the guards returned for the third wave, followed by the civilians, and then the church entered the fight. Every Church official stationed here in the city. We lost ten more, Goddess.” Zephyr sobs. “People just kept stepping up to help. Jack Wilson front and center, screaming orders and rallying everyone. He kept yelling ‘Nothing to do but push through, keep it up push through’ They joined ranks and pushed it through. I did not see a single person falter. Commoner, merchant, noble, none of them with an affinity. They just came. They just showed up and dragged the injured back for healing. I saw a lot of them die. They just kept on doing anything they could to support us. They picked up weapons and fought, some dragging the wounded. One person would fall and drop a wounded delver, while two more would step in and take up both wounded and continued to bring them to the Healers.” Zephyr takes a deep breath to collect himself. “I have always been proud of my city, and the hard-working citizens in it. At that moment, watching the city pull together and fight the overflow. Together as one. It's the crowning achievement of this city.” He tells the room. “We fought two more waves. Despite losing over 30 people in my raid group in two waves, more accepted the invites and took their place. The raid included over 500 Attuned and twice that many unattuned participants. Five groups of one hundred of the bravest men and women it has been my privilege to associate with. I was the only one left of my family, Mother, two sisters and my younger brother. They all stayed to fight. They all died. Half the people I knew were now dead. Jack Wilson was the rock the monsters broke upon like ocean waves. Blood splashed everywhere, drenching everyone present. The ground turned into bloody mud, and the streets flowed with the stuff like some awful pestilence sent by the heavens. We had just enough time to distribute our gains from the fighting. I hit level 25. Can you believe it? 0 to 25 in two hours. Then the Boss came through. I could not believe how large it was. I had seen nothing living so huge. Jack led the attack. Everybody piled on, even the unattuned. They died, of course. But the brave souls distracted the beast. It allowed the top rankers to whittle the damn thing down. Tanner’s father died. He got the final blow and took a killing blow.” Zephyr found himself looking out the windows, so wrapped up in the story he didn’t remember standing. “I told myself I would look after the families of those Heroes that sacrificed for the rest of us.”

  Tolbur passes out glasses of an amber colored liquid. “Ladies and Gentlemen, to the cities Heroes.”

  Emperor Harold raises his glass, “To the Zephyr Family.”

  Zephyr raises his glass. “To Jack Wilson.”

  Emperor Harold speaks to the room. “I had gotten reports of the events of that day. The total gained Affinities was 57. Death toll was over 7,000, with 923 permanent maimed, the reports did not convey the real toll taken. They never do of course. Lord Zephyr, anything else to add?”

  “Just that a few weeks after the Dungeon split, I discovered just how far from the Goddess’s Commandments my father had fallen. The city coffers were empty, and he had invited criminal elements into the city. He was charging them to operate here. He was throwing citizens into the Dungeon. The Kid-hawks would take them for him. He was paying off the Guild to overlook the Dungeon warning signs, and to hide and ignore any reports of problems in the Dungeon. The Church took care of the Guild. I had the guard take over the Dungeon administration. The Delver’s Guild is no longer welcome here in my city. I started to weed out the Criminals. This was taking the longest, several of the city's nobles were involved. We had been investigating slow and careful. Until 4 years ago, when a young man of our acquaintance became a witness. He was the key to removing the Kid-hawks, the other gangs and much of the organized crime backed by the noble houses. The guard, my personal forces and I raided and killed almost every criminal gang it the city. We arrested those that surrendered but most fought to the death. I contacted the church for help against the noble backers in the city. They killed most, they did not surrender. I hope I got them all, but I am not sure. There were twenty minor noble houses in the city, and five of them no longer exist. My father’s journal had implied that two of the major houses were with him. Insufficient evidence halted prosecution. Zephyr looks the Emperor in the eye. “That is my relationship with Tanner. We lost track of him after his grandmother died, that is how he wound-up in the orphanage. He came to back my attention 4 years ago. My debt to the young man for my Father murdering his Mother, is something I can never repay. I owe him for his Father’s sacrifice, and for his help to rid the city of parasitic elements. I made him a Junior Guardsman. He trains with them, he runs errands and works as a messenger. He is also suited to other tasks related to the gangs. I have to maintain some distance from him for his protection. I would do more. My wife and I would take him into our home and raise him as a son. If only I could ensure his safety, but?” Shrugging, Zephyr's voice trails off, lost in dark thoughts.

  Victoria, silent so far. Tells the room. “I have much to add. This is too big for us to continue investigating, I, We are asking for Imperial investigators. Placing a gift-wrapped box on the table. I wanted to seem like I was bringing a gift to curry favor. In this box are my father-in-law's journals, well, copies anyway. I so swear on the Goddess that they are true and accurate copies.” A glow surrounds the Lady and fades. The truth stone has never flickered once during the meeting, keeping the same gentle white glow. “Franklin did not know of my plan. I’m afraid I was hoping for a private audience with the Empress.” She then laughs. “I guess I did bring a gift. This is everything that bastard was up to. Once you read them you will understand much better. Please except my apologies for interrupting your schedule.”

  Franklin looking at his wife in astonishment. Smiles and kisses her, “You are the reason I still have a job, brilliant.”

  Tolbur walks around with a smile and refills all their glasses. “One more toast. Two drinks before lunch is two to many. But sometimes, We do what we must.” Everyone smiles.

  The Emperor tells everyone, “You both have my word the matter will be handled, The Empire will investigate.” Harold hands the box off to Tolbur, “Take care of this please, we would not want to lose it.”