Chapter 3 - A Day's Reflection

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The young prince made his way through the village streets stopping occasionally to return a wave or reply when someone greeted him. He knew almost everyone in the village – it was that kind of place. But he was anxious to get to the House of Solomon to see the scribe, Mikael. He'd devoured all the books that he'd been given last time and was brimming with questions on art and culture. But most of all, the young prince wanted to hear more about the Magistar Lords, the ancient rulers of the Forgotten City who had tamed the power of Akasha, bending it to their will to the point that they could move mountains and raise cities from the ground.

They had reigned supreme and built an empire but it was a brief candle in the darkness. Their great city fell silent, its people fled in all directions and with it brought an end to the wild times. Within a single generation the last of the wielders of Akasha had died out and their secrets lost for all time.

The young prince longed to hear more of the tale. How had the city fallen, and what became of the Akasha? How could a civilization so powerful vanish so completely, its empire swallowed by the jungle and lost to the mists of time?

Mikael was tending to a letter when the prince arrived, brimming with questions. He was a man whose age was hard to guess. While filled with enthusiasm and optimism he was not someone who you would ever call young. Age had yet to start showing on his face but there was a sense of heavy experience about him, like he'd lived longer in his few short years than a person should and it had taken its toll on him.

"Ahh, young prince, welcome to my humble home. How are you this fine day?"

"Greetings, Sol Uno. I've finished those books you lent me."

"No need for the honorific, it just the two of us today. Mikael is fine. I'm glad you enjoyed them. Tea?"

"Yes, please. But I have a million questions."

"Tea first. Like I taught you – pause, calm yourself, and reflect before asking questions."

The young prince took a deep breath as Mikael set about making the tea. One of the many things he'd had to learn was how to think before acting or saying anything. A poorly placed question could show ignorance and weakness, and weakness meant death or exploitation at the hands of an enemy.

"I'd like to hear your thoughts on why Akasha has vanished from the world," the prince asked, taking a sip of tea from a china cup.

"Much better. It is difficult to say. We know from the records of your own ancestors that they came from the Forgotten City at the time of the fall. In fact, Oriki the first Emperor was more than likely a Magistar Lord; his mother, Cassandra, certainly was.

"Many scholars believe that they were more than likely leaders of a group of refugees that had escaped the city during whatever cataclysm befell it. According to legend, Oriki used Akasha to tame the golden land and create the original palace and old city by crystalizing the fertile sand of the valley with the rays of the sun. It's from that great work that the City of Light gets its name. But that seems to be the last great work of Akasha that is recorded. So, it is likely that the power had waned greatly by then and there are many that believe that Oriki expended the last of it."

"Is that what you believe?"

"Maybe, like you, I'm an old romantic and I can't help but believe Akasha still exists in abundance, but the knowledge of how to use it has been lost. As you'll recall, the Magistar Lords ruled in the wild times, when gods and spirits still roamed the land and man was just one of the many creatures that dwelt here."

"What do they say of the fall of the Forgotten City? Did the waning of Akasha cause the city to fall, or did Akasha begin to wane because the city fell?"

"It's a subject of much debate, but the leading theory is that the waning caused the city to collapse. Without it the Magistar Lords would have looked like ripe targets. A collation of enemies more than likely sacked the city looting its treasures and then burnt it to the ground."

"But then surely someone would have stayed to rule? The Forgotten City was said to be the jewel of the age. Any conqueror would have wanted to keep it."

"Agreed, it is a mystery and it also doesn't explain the lack of artefacts. As an Archivist I know how few relics remain of that time. If the city had been looted I would expect its riches to still be scattered around many places. The few surviving accounts all refer to the event as the fall."

"And it still remains lost somewhere in the Jungle of Malfazon for over a thousand years?"

"Yes, according to legend the jungle swallowed the Forgotten City and all traces of its empire. There are stories or ruins being found in the jungle but the city itself has always eluded adventures. The Jungle of Malfazon you'll have to remember is larger than the former Elysium Empire."

"I don't suppose you have a copy of any of those stories?"

"Haha, sadly, no. All the important records are kept in the Stone Library in Heidenguard."

"I'd love to see it. The Stone Library is the centre of the Archivist order and the greatest repository of knowledge in the world."

"As they say. It also houses the order's collection of relics and artefacts from the Forgotten City. Perhaps one day you'll get a chance to see it."

"Definitely one day."


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