Algernon Black

(Chapter 4) The Belly of the Pyramid

"It's not often we get travelers from Emora," Rasmus said, leading the siblings through the dim passages of the pyramid. The only sources of light bleed from low-hanging torches on the wall, which cast the red stone in an even drier hue.

Jared eyed him wearingly. He presumed the leader's son too brash to be polite when it came to inquiring if a person was from Emora like he and Lucy were. Their country was considered the greatest powerhouse of the world, and many resented its citizens and the enforced peace they brought throughout the world. Some even hated Emorians enough to go out of their way to harm them, a lesson Jared quickly learned after coming across many of those other countries' spiteful locals.

"Did you perhaps attend Attwood?" Rasmus asked. He directed the question at Jared, who was 30 and would have been old enough to have graduated from the most notorious school in the world, but Lucy, who had just turned eighteen, was the exact age she would start her education—if she were able to go like she always wished she could but knew was a hopeless pipe dream.

"No," Jared replied. "I did not."

Lucy glanced at her brother sideways, wondering why he had lied, but having the sense to keep quiet.

"I see," Rasmus said. "Perhaps that is for the best." He turned to strike his eyes back at Jared. "I hear very mixed things about that castle in the clouds."

Jared's brows narrowed at what he thought might be implied insult by the boy's tone.

"Our great ancestral pyramid was actually built a thousand years ago," Rasmus divulged. "A contemporary with the castle turned school your last king built."

"The last good king is how we refer to him," Jared said, annoyed at the casualness used when addressing the greatest ruler to ever live.

"Oh, right. I forget how much emphasis you Emorains put on dead rulers." Rasmus suddenly stopped before a wall where the torches light fell upon a treasure trove of weapons. "In Atexul, we aren't tied down to past loyalties or blood. The only measure of importance is one's strength. And the dead don't have much power."

Jared let his eyes roll over the masses of auxiliary before finding the boy's eyes again. "I used to think so too. But the dead leave behind a lot more than just stories and bones. But only the wise can find it."

"I don't need to find it, when I already have it," Rasmus stated, his voice hardening as he gestured to his grandiose collection. "These are the great weapons used by my ancestors. Each one forged with powerful creation magic has taken the lives of countless men and women in defeating every threat my city has ever faced." He waved a handful of light magic across the weapons as they gleamed to life. "But they remain useless upon these walls," Rasmus said, skimming them over with narrowed eyes. "As useless as the dead men that once carried them."

"So many," Lucy mindlessly spoke, seeing no spot on the 20-foot-wide wall bare.

"Well, our family did not grow so powerful without a good weapon at one's side." Rasmus  dismounted an ax from its resting place. Lucy watched as it glowed bright red before settling into a soft blue hue, as the magic, it was infused with, accepted his hold.

"This was my great grandfather's." Rasmus swung the heavy ax from one hand to the other. "He sealed it with a blood pack after his death, so only blood of his blood could wield it." He raised the weapon as if he was posing like one of the statues of the gods Lucy saw at the pyramid's entrance. She wondered if he expected them to worship him like one too.

"It's very big," Jared said. "I'm sure you're very proud of it."

Lucy smiled, recognizing the double meaning in her brother's sarcasm, unlike their tour guide.

"Of course." Rasmus propped up his weapon like he was preparing for a fight. "And tonight, my father will bless me with the most powerful artifact of them all. A long curved blade we call Fourvier that can only be used by the most powerful alive of my bloodline."

"The greatest weapons reside in the East." Jared needed only to glance over the wall of relics to see these were nothing compared to the three he had seen in his time in Attwood—though those were an exceptionally rare breed.

Rasmus rested the head of the ax on the ground to lean forward on its handle. "I assume you're referring to the artifacts of known. I've heard of them. But every country thinks they have the best weapons, the best warriors, the best commanders." Rasmus pivoted the weapon's blade with such faint movement it couldn't be determined if it was intentional or not when the metal caught the fire of the touches to reflect a target of light over Jared's heart. "But only one can be right."

Jared wasn't at all fazed by such unsubtle threats, while Lucy only looked confused.

"After all, any weapon is only as great as the one wielding it." Rasmus shrugged before lighting the mood with a more jovial tone while returning the ax to its crevice of kindred neglected objects. "And I've been training my entire life to wield mine."

Lucy saw under the tunic Rasmus wore that he did seem to be in very good shape with broad shoulders and well-defined muscles.

"For instance, this ax is nothing special, until my great Uncle Yasul wielded it, to destroy an entire village of would-be usurpers," he said while he resuming his guidance duties.

"Lovely," Lucy said repulsively, following behind.

"But let's not let this first meeting be about death," Rasmus said as they reached a tall stone door. "If it can be, I'd like this to be a celebration of life," he added with his eyes full of not-so-hidden meaning.

"How about we celebrate it with a little more space between us," Jared said, stepping in between the two.

Rasmus' face dropped by the interruption, but he quickly recovered. "Sorry, you must excuse me. In my culture, we may operate a little too personal for your taste."

"Quite a bit too personally," Jared emphasized with no trepidation to his voice to lessen his obvious offense with the boy.

"I apologize," Rasmus said, opening the door. "Let me leave you to your rooms, and I will be better suited to your preferred behavior later when you join me for my party."

Jared eyed the boy as he entered.

Lucy followed, but was stopped when Rasmus grabbed her arm. "And I truly am sorry for my misspeaking." He stared into her eyes and Lucy thought the green of his reminded her of the shade of the frog they had seen earlier, or a different creature she couldn't bring to mind.

"It's fine," Lucy said, trying to recede into the room.

"Until tonight," Rasmus replied, making a big show of bowing before finally leaving.

Lucy thought he was a strange boy; and especially strange was how his eyes lingered on her.

"Try to avoid being alone with him," Jared advised, as soon as the door closed. 

Lucy nodded, still wondering what the green in his eyes had reminded her of.