The Thorn Crown

Chapter III: Servant of Fire

Ingold Cranston

His body shook in the cold that hung thickly in the air and moisture danced along the freezing winds of night. Ingold's jittering hand shut the windows of the library of the Fuxao palace. Out of the corner of his weary eye he noticed a soft warm light, glimmering in the wind. Like a moth, Ingold scurried quickly to a nearby bookshelf, following the light. He peeked around a corner and there was his master.

Kenji bore a tired face with bags under his eyes. Illuminating his face was a small reading lamp. His visage was young, at sixteen years of age and he had slimmer eyes than the men of the west had. Held in those eyes were brown piecing jewels that struck the soul of any onlookers. Upon his head was long, messy, black hair tied half up hastily. Below his eyes were sagging black bags sunk into his face. His eyes met with his book, "Deities of the Eastern Realm", written by Pyang Fuxao, his late father.

Pages and pages filled the book, considered madness by many, depicting drawings of dragons, demons with multiple eyes and deities making contracts and deals with mortals. Scribbled in these tattered notes were hypotheses and theories. Excerpts from alleged conversations his mad father had with these beings.

'Master?' Ingold asked in Kenji's foreign tongue. He spoke in a thick western accent yet was still fluent in the complicated language. 'Shouldn't you rest? I believe we ride for Eru tomorrow for the meeting.'

Kenji gave a sigh and looked away from his slave. 'The Xengjiao.' Kenji said grimly. 'Have I told you of it?'

'No master.' Ingold had listened to his masters words carefully. Words of lore and history about Khagan, originally intended as mockery to the western explorer. In exchange, Ingold taught the master his western tongue.

'The Xengjiao is the only place of fickle unity for the seven warring states of Khagan. It is where the dynasty leaders meet once every year to discuss matters to do with the well-being of our country.' Kenji explained. 'This will be my first time going.'

'Since my master's lord father died?'

'Yes.'

Ingold could tell his master had blissfully ignored his thoughts of Eru until now.

'I'll head to my chambers' Kenji declared, folding his current page and closing the leather bound book shut. His mind clearly lied with the unkindly prospect of his inherited duty. Taking his seat in the Xengjiao. Kenji walked through the library, book in hand and with Ingold following close behind. Ebony shelves were lit by Kenji's lamp, giving light to the subtle grains and pattern of the wood, holding history, stories and many other contents. Bound by leather and stained on paper.

Outside was dark. Moonlight sliced through the clouds, like swords, cutting though, giving hard blue form to the Fuxao palace. Kenji, with Ingold creeping as his master's shadow, walked out from the palace library, the west wing jutting out of the courtyard.

'Pale man.' His master called out. 'I wish for you to be presentable when I enter the Xengjiao. Bathe yourself. I'll be showing you off to the other dynasties.'

'Wha- Why master? If I may enquire-'

'The rest of your pale men attacked my shores.' He said sternly. 'This is a serious matter, of which I will present to the other dynasties.' He paused. 'My father was an explorer, hence why he documented so much of his travels.' He said tapping his large leather tome. 'Aside from here, where else did your pale men go?'

'Well we headed up our own lands, stopped off at a couple of islands here and there. Then we sailed north east to the Nornlands, a cold, desolate and violent place. Then our journey led us through the eastern lands until we found Khagan. We tried to steal your black powder but my ship got ambushed by your men. That's it. However that expedition could have continued without me.'

'Where do you think the deserters went?'

Ingold hated that. Pushing it in his face thathis crewmates left him for dead.  'Probably around to Araldabad.' he replied sourly.

'Why there and not sail back? Araldabad is a desert with primitive hordes of dark men and no more.'

'You'd be surprised at what they're capable of. My realm has had many wars with them. And they're rich in purple dye.'

'What's so special about that?' his master asked.

'Men of the west think it's a symbol of royalty. Class, and all that. It's rare in the Westerlands but plentiful in places like Khagan and Araldabad.'

Finally, the master and his servant reached the main keep of the palace a grey base held everything up upon the hill, and topping the grey walls were corrugated black roofs, glinting blue in the light. He entered the north wing of the castle, the main keep. Great wooden doors greeted him, spewing out a warm, yellow light.

Inside was kept in fashion to the library. Beautiful stained wood lined the castle interior. Kenji walked to the centre, staring upwards; he could see a gap stretching all the way to the roof, all the four floors of the castle were shown to him. Lacing the gaps were planks of wood made from Berrywood. A fine smelling wood, rich with fruity scent of the yellowberries that grew on them. Once cut, berrywood trees leave a fine scent, which lingered in the Fuxao castle, still flooding it's halls after hundreds of years. A luxury material no doubt, alongside it's berries. Served for rich men in teas, cakes and pies.

Kenji continued down the halls of the castle until he reached the winding stairs that gripped against the four walls of the keep. He headed all the way up until he met his chambers, previously belonging to his father.

'Do you need anything my master?' asked Ingold in haste

'No. I require no more of your service until tomorrow. Bathe, rest with haste and eat, I want you to look lively tomorrow.' His master answered. The master clicked his fingers towards a pair of guards stood sentry by the doorway to his chambers. He gestured the pair towards Ingold. They threatened Ingold with scarlet armour and the Fuxao symbol, painted boldly over their chest pieces. Scales of metal interlinked and grooved as the guards moved slyly towards him.

Accompanied, Ingold headed all the way back down but glimpsing back he noticed his master looking at a smoking pipe. In fear of what his master would do, he looked back, paying no mind. Heading back outside, he looked up at the moon, now clear as the clouds parted away. Old memories came back. A wave of emotion came as Ingold remembered how he came by this strange eastern land. One of many ships with gold, battered and beaten. Ambushed by the easterlings and now he was here. With no crewmates, captain or ship to escape with. He missed the open sea in a way, with the wind passing through his long locks of hair while he stood proudly on the Virgin's Might. He wondered what happened to the rest of the ships. He knew his crew had died to the eastern people but what of the rest of the expedition across the world? What happened to Commander Captain Freeman and his ship, the Golden Wind?

Roughly a good couple of months have passed since then, stripped bare of his friends and family, his only company now being his master. He looked in one of the mirrors lining the walls. He stared in the mirror with what he thought were hardened seafarer's eyes. Looking back was a horrid creature with shrivelled skin, mid-length dirty blonde hair, now brown hair, grown from when his master had everything shaved. His pale blue eyes were darting around and wary of his surroundings. Looking back piercing through the mirror was the dreaded face of a slave.